ASEAN Women in Energy-Climate (2024)

In conjunction of the International Women’s Day 2024 #InspireInclusion, the ASEAN Climate Change Energy Project (ACCEPT) aims to champion gender equality in the energy sector. Gender equality is intertwined between the energy and climate nexus, as women are prone to be impacted. Hence, ACCEPT addresses the need to enhance regional structure, exploring the capacity in nurturing gender equality in every aspect of between the energy-climate nexus.

The 1988 Declaration on Women’s Advancement symbolises the commitment of ASEAN in promoting gender equality and inclusion. The UN Women defines gender equality as equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities given to female and male. Quoting the 2021 ASEAN Gender Outlook, the assessment of inequalities includes the unemployment rate, the female participation rate, etc.

To date, women’s roles only constitute 8% of the total workforce within the energy sector. With the energy demand rises and untapped benefits, the disparity shows the urgency to increase women’s representation and promote gender equality in the sector. Therefore, the women’s involvement in diverse functions is essential in charting path towards sustainable energy transition. This ambition aligns with ASEAN’s Community Vision 2025, which aims to achieve an inclusive community that promotes high quality of life, equitable access to opportunities for all and promotes and protects human rights for women.

Recognising the pivotal role of women and their contribution in the energy sector, their increased participation is very promising to accelerate the energy transition. To celebrate the International Women’s Day this year, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), through ACCEPT II, plans dynamic key activities to engage and promote women’s inclusion in the energy sector, through:

Knowledge sharing and dissemination through social media campaigns;
Publication through opinion-editorials and is available on our website; and
Webinar on “Inspiring Women’s Leadership in Energy for an Inclusive ASEAN”.

#InspireInclusion

Throughout the month of March, ACCEPT II commences its social media campaign on #InspireInclusion. Highlighting women in the energy sector, this campaign hopes not only to increase awareness on the importance of gender equality, but also inspire women to be part of the energy sector. To do so, we have interviewed women of ACE to gain their perspectives on the subject. These interviews as well as other parts of our campaign can be accessed through our social media @asean_accept.

Video 1 – Nadhilah Shani, Senior Research Analyst

Video 2 – Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah, Senior Research Analyst

Video 3 – Ambiyah Abdullah, Senior Research Analyst

Video 4 – Emilia Syadriah, Senior Officer

Video 5 – Monika Merdekawati, Research Analyst

Video 6 – Mardika Firlina, Associate Research Analyst

Video 7 – Dynta Trishana Munardy, Technical Officer

ACCEPT also encourage ASEAN Member States to be part of the International Women’s Day campaign. We invite the female role model in the energy sector, to inspire other women in pursuing their career in ASEAN energy sector. Don’t forget to check out the interview with remarkable female leaders in the energy sector across AMS: Lao PDR, Singapore, and Philippines. Available via our social media now!

Video 1 – Sengdeuan Vongin, Lao PDR

Video 2 – Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, The Philippines

Video 3 – Agnes Koh, Singapore

Other than that, we’re also collecting interviews with female leaders across ASEAN Member States. Stay tuned for updates from these remarkable women!

Achieving gender equality is a task that requires collaboration and mutual understanding from people all over the world. So, join us on the climb to promote gender equality and #InspireInclusion wherever you are!

Inspiring Women’s Leadership in Energy for an Inclusive ASEAN

The webinar, supported by campaigns and publications, aims to address gender gap within the ASEAN energy sector and is dedicated to fulfilling three main objectives:

Awareness: To enhance the general knowledge among ASEAN communities about the significance of gender equality in the energy sector, underlining how inclusive policies can drive innovation and progress.
Empowerment: To inspire and support the inclusion of women in the decision-making processes within the ASEAN energy sector, recognising their potential to contribute to energy transition.
Collaboration: To foster a collaborative network among stakeholders, policymakers, industry experts, and the public to make a tangible impact on gender equality within the energy sector, leading to more robust and inclusive energy policies.

ACCEPT welcomes all ASEAN Member States and all women to be part of the momentous webinar on March 27, 2024 (via Zoom online). You can check out our social media to get more updates on the webinar. Don’t miss out on the chance and grab this opportunity!

Achieving gender equality is a task that requires collaboration and mutual understanding from people all over the world.

So, join us on the climb to promote gender equality and #InspireInclusion wherever you are!

Our effort continues through the launching of the “Gender Equality in ASEAN Energy Booklet”, which is dedicated to analysing key challenges and opportunities in elevating women’s participation in the energy sector. The booklet outlines the constraints and elaborately explains the key enablers to improve gender inclusions and unwind opportunities to progress towards gender equality. The publication will launch on March 27, 2024. We would like to invite relevant parties to share their insights and collaborate with us in creating gender inclusive environment, so mark your calendar!

As a think tank in the energy sector, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is currently conducting a survey on energy and gender to understand insights on mainstreaming gender in the regional energy sector. An online survey is launched during the webinar to facilitate data collection on gender issues. This initiative is part of a continued effort following the intention to inform a comprehensive report on enhancing women’s inclusion. The findings will be compiled and published as a testament to the event’s outcomes, contributing to the ongoing discourse on gender diversity and inclusion in the energy sector as an input for the next cycle of ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC). Your participation would greatly contribute to our pre-assessment of ASEAN’s challenges and activities required to enable gender-responsive energy transition policies. Participate now!