Roundtable Discussion

Women Inclusion in Renewable Energy Discourse

DIPTO Foundation organized a roundtable discussion on December 23 at the WVA Auditorium in Dhanmondi. Representatives from organizations such as Uddipan, Women for Women, Clean Bangladesh, and others attended. The event featured Wasiur Rahman Tanmoy from Manusher Jonno Foundation and Farah Anjum from Global Strategic Communications Council as resource persons, with Zakia K Hasan, Founder and Executive Director of DIPTO Foundation, as the moderator. Shamima Afroze, President of DIPTO Foundation, presided over the event.
During the discussion, Zakia K Hasan emphasized the importance of involving women in the energy sector and addressing their underrepresentation. She pointed out that Bangladeshi women show limited interest in STEM fields and that many who pursue science or engineering education often end up working in unrelated fields like banking. Women and children are disproportionately affected by energy usage, particularly in rural areas where harmful energy sources are prevalent.
Wasiur Rahman Tanmoy highlighted that despite women constituting 50.49% of the population, their involvement in renewable energy remains minimal. Existing policies, such as the National Policy of 2004 and the Remote Area Power System Guidelines of 2007, fail to adequately address gender-specific energy needs. While 34% of the national budget is allocated for gender-responsive initiatives, the monitoring process is unclear. Additionally, only 14% of STEM professionals in Bangladesh are women, the lowest rate in South Asia, and women make up just 7.9% of employees in the Bangladesh Power Development Board.
Farah Anjum discussed the outcomes of COP29 and the BEP 2050 plan. She noted that Bangladesh leads South Asia in terms of the gender gap, with minimal female representation at global events like COP29, where only 8 of 78 representatives were women. She also mentioned that significant financial resources are needed for climate initiatives. The BEP 2050 declaration calls for reforms in policy coherence, finance, and integrated energy planning.