On May 15-16, ESF partner hosted us in Barcelona for partnership meeting and training session as part of the EUWES project – Empowering Underrepresented Women in the Energy Sector.

At the meeting partners discussed various already implemented activities:

• Policy Mapping Results: Partner organizations exchanged results of the mapping of policies, laws, measures, and plans related to gender equality in the energy sector in each participating country.
• EU Recommendations Report: A report containing EU-level recommendations which will serve as a foundation for each country to develop national recommendations.
• Educational Materials: Educational materials for conducting training sessions were introduced.

Upcoming activities:

• Training Sessions: Focus will be placed on the upcoming training sessions. Participants will include key stakeholders such as women in the energy sector, female students in technical faculties, decision-makers in the energy sector, and leaders in research, educational institutions, and the labor market.
• National Recommendations: Development and dissemination of national recommendations to key stakeholders in the energy, educational, and labor market sectors.
• Advocacy Plans: Implementation of national advocacy plans aimed at increasing the visibility and representation of women in the energy sector.
• Support Network: Establishment of an informal national support network. Members will regularly meet to exchange information and support each other in advancing within the energy sector.

Capacity Building and Site Visit

The next day, partner organizations WECF and ESF organized a training session to strengthen the capacity of the organizations involved in the project, based on the developed educational materials.

Participants also had the opportunity to visit a building representing an energy and housing cooperative. They learned firsthand about the establishment of the housing cooperative, the need for such associations, and how it integrated into the creation of an energy cooperative and the installation of photovoltaic systems.

Partners

The project is led by the Society for Sustainable Development Design – DOOR (Croatia) and includes partner organizations such as FOCUS Association for Sustainable Development – FOCUS (Slovenia), Associacio Internacional De Ingenieria Sin Fronteras ISF – ESF (Spain), and Women Engage For A Common Future EV – WECF (Germany). The project is supported by the Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values Programme (CERV).

The EUWES project is a significant step towards empowering underrepresented women in the energy sector, promoting gender equality, and fostering sustainable development across Europe.