Rio+20 Side Event: Driving Economic Growth through Energy Access and Gender Equality
The World Development Report 2012 has established that gender equality is smart economic policy. Background papers explore the linkages between energy, gender and development.
The UN Secretary-General has launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative to ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030.
Women’s economic participation is essential if these ambitious goals are to be reached. An increased supply of energy to households can enable women to participate in the workforce. An increased supply of energy to communities and industry can create new private enterprises and jobs for women and men alike. Furthermore, greater opportunities for women in education of relevance to the energy sector, for example engineering, are important for economic development in all countries. States that successfully provide energy in ways that facilitate women’s participation in the productive sector and paid employment will experience economic growth, stronger public budgets and better welfare services.
How can states and communities increase energy access in ways that realise the untapped potential of women’s participation in the economy? What are the entry points for gender-sensitive approaches in energy sector policies and programmes?
Draft Programme
0900 Introduction and welcome
Moderator Mishal Husain
0905 Opening Speech
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
0910 Discussion: What must be done today to make it possible to realise the goals of Sustainable Energy for All, gender equality and economic growth
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff (TBC)
Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg
Former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland
0925 Panel 1: Policies and strategies to realise the potential of women’s participation in economic, political and social development. Links between energy access, gender equality and economic growth.
Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg
Minister of Energy, Mozambique, Salvador Namburete
Minister of Finance, Liberia, Amara Konneh (TBC)
EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard
World Bank Vice President, Rachel Kyte
Former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland
1000 Panel 2: How can we best approach energy access with a view to succeeding in our ambitions relating to women’s empowerment? Our entry points, success stories and lessons learnt.
Minister of Energy, Mozambique, Salvador Namburete
Minister of Finance, Liberia, Amara Konneh (TBC)
EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard
World Bank Vice President, Rachel Kyte
Statoil Senior Vice President on Corporate Climate, Hege Marie Norheim
ENERGIA Programme Manager, Sheila Oparaocha