Draft Report Presentation

Inclusion of Gender in Renewable Energy Discourses

DIPTO Foundation organized an event titled “Inclusion of Gender in Renewable Energy Discourse” on January 28, 2025, at the WVA Auditorium, Dhanmondi. Representatives from various organizations, including Uddipan, Women for Women, BITA, BNWLA, CLEAN, Mohila Parishad, Naripokkho, BARCIK, UBINIG, BEI, Change Initiative, and The Earth Foundation, attended the event.
The session featured notable resource persons, including Dr. Mohd. Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive of CPRD; Hasan Mehedi, Member Secretary of BWGED & Chief Executive of CLEAN; and Helen Mashiyat Preoty, Senior Research Associate at CPD, as the discussant. The special guest of the session was Adv. Salma Ali from BNWLA. Zakia K. Hasan, Founder & Executive Director of DIPTO Foundation, moderated the event, while Shamima Afroze, President of DIPTO Foundation, presided over the session.
The event began with a warm welcome from Farhana Malaya Chowdhury, General Secretary of DIPTO Foundation. In her opening remarks, she introduced DIPTO Foundation’s key initiatives and invited the chief guest, special guests, and resource persons to the stage.
Following the introduction, Zakia K. Hasan presented the foundation’s research study findings. She highlighted that while renewable energy is widely discussed, public awareness remains low. The study revealed that 42% of the surveyed population lacked awareness about renewable energy, while 33% were informed and 25% had partial knowledge. It was noted that women in Bangladesh are significantly underrepresented in the energy sector, and there is minimal interest among female students in STEM fields. The study also indicated that awareness about renewable energy varies by income level, with higher middle-class groups showing greater adaptability to renewable energy solutions.
Helen Mashiyat Preoty from CPD emphasized the potential for increasing women’s participation in the energy sector. She projected that raising female representation from 10% to 32% by 2030 could result in 3,000 additional women joining the workforce, signifying a major shift in gender inclusion within the industry.
Dr. Mohd. Shamsuddoha presented strategies to empower NGOs to advocate for solar energy adoption, encouraging grassroots-level engagement to expand renewable energy accessibility.
Hasan Mehedi highlighted that while women account for 84% of household energy usage, only 12% use biomass energy, and merely 2% of board members in major power plants are women.
During the open discussion, Ondrila from BITA shared insights from an FGD (Focus Group Discussion), highlighting gender-based disparities in energy access. She recounted an example where a husband would leave home during power outages, while the wife remained indoors managing household tasks, illustrating how energy issues disproportionately affect women.
The event concluded with a strong call for gender inclusion in the renewable energy sector. Participants emphasized the need for policy changes, financial incentives, and community awareness programs to bridge the gender gap in energy access and employment.