ENERGIZING GENDER EQUALITY: RENEW MENA AT CAIRO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY WEEK 2024
The 2024 edition of Cairo Sustainable Energy Week (CSEW), held from October 1-3, brought together a dynamic community of leaders, innovators, and stakeholders dedicated to advancing sustainable energy across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Among the highlights of this year’s event was the session hosted by the Regional Network in Energy for Women in the Middle East and North Africa Region (RENEW MENA). This key platform shines a light on the importance of gender inclusion in the energy sector, where women in many MENA countries account for less than 10% of the workforce, with only an average of 5% in technical or managerial roles.
RENEW MENA boosts women’s role in energy by connecting them with role models, fostering mentorship, building confidence, and creating safe spaces. The initiative focuses on three pillars:
Transitioning from STEM education to energy careers
Recruitment, retention, and career advancement
Supporting entrepreneurs and advancing financial inclusion in renewables and emerging technologies
Since June 2022, the RENEW MENA program, facilitated by the World Bank with ESMAP support, has championed gender inclusion in the energy sector across MENA. Partnering with 24 organizations, 15 actively reported results, implementing 473 activities that impacted over 22,000 girls and women by December 2023.
Key achievements include 20 STEM workshops for 1,200+ female students, 3,500+ scholarships, 82 hires in technical roles, and 255 professional development workshops for 2,400+ women. Mentorship programs benefited 350 professionals, and nearly 5,000 women entrepreneurs received targeted support.
RENEW MENA's Expanding Influence
In collaboration with the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), RENEW MENA leveraged the CSEW stage to emphasize the critical need to increase female representation within the sector. In her remarks, H.E. Eng. Amani Al-Azzam, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jordan, acknowledged the network's impact.
“RENEW MENA is convening partners to boost women’s role in energy. We hosted their conference this year in Amman, and I saw how it triggered dialogue and mobilized efforts to drive real change.”
Currently, women in the MENA energy sector hold fewer than 5% of leadership roles. RENEW MENA's work in Cairo sought to change this by encouraging stakeholders to create more opportunities for women to lead and innovate.
Empowering Women through Mentorship and Skill Development
One of RENEW MENA’s primary objectives is to bridge the gap in opportunities for women in technical and leadership roles. By providing female STEM students with pathways to careers in energy, the network actively counters the trend in MENA where only 20% of STEM graduates are women entering energy fields. Dr. Nada Sharaf, a lecturer at the German International University, highlighted this during her talk:
“I see a strong interest from female STEM students wanting to break into energy fields. With the support of RENEW MENA’s internships and training, we can better support them in building energy careers.”
RENEW MENA’s collaborations with universities and energy companies have already facilitated internships, mentoring, and training for over 2400 women across the region, providing them with skills essential for the industry.
Building a Network for Sustainable Change: The RENEW MENA - Egypt Chapter
A cornerstone of this year's CSEW session was the formal gathering of the RENEW MENA Egypt Chapter, which aims to enhance local collaboration to support inclusive energy policies and projects. The session brought together prominent leaders, including Saif El-Demerdash, Vice President at Schneider Electric, who underscored the importance of corporate mentorship:
“Tackling women’s empowerment in the energy sector, I was honored to join RENEW MENA’s gathering to share how Schneider Electric’s programs are guiding women on their professional journey.”
Corporate partnerships with RENEW MENA have already helped more than 350 women secure mentorships with industry leaders, equipping them to advance within their careers. By fostering such cross-sector collaborations, RENEW MENA ensures that gender-responsive initiatives are at the forefront of MENA’s renewable energy transformation.
Lighting the Path Forward
As RENEW MENA continues to grow, it is setting an example for gender-inclusive practices across MENA.
In the calendar year 2024, RENEW MENA partners have committed to implementing around 540 activities, benefiting over 13,000 women across the region. These efforts include 20 STEM outreach sessions engaging approximately 1,000 female students and 70 scholarships supporting 1,600 students in their education. Around 20 internships will create pathways for female students, with plans to hire 120 women professionals across various sectors. To drive professional growth, 250 workshops and training sessions will focus on personal and career development for nearly 4,000 women. Additionally, targeted initiatives aim to empower 4,200 women entrepreneurs, equipping them with resources to thrive in the clean energy market.
With support for regional partnerships, mentorship programs, and targeted policies, RENEW MENA stands as a powerful force for sustainable change, demonstrating that the energy sector is strongest when it includes diverse voices.
The way forward is clear: a gender-inclusive energy sector is critical for achieving the region’s sustainability goals. RENEW MENA, alongside its partners, is energizing the future—one empowered woman at a time.
*RENEW MENA is World Bank initiative financed by ESMAP – Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
Blog » Energizing gender equality: RENEW MENA at Cairo Sustainable Energy Week 2024
Energizing gender equality: RENEW MENA at Cairo Sustainable Energy Week 2024
ENERGIZING GENDER EQUALITY: RENEW MENA AT CAIRO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY WEEK 2024
The 2024 edition of Cairo Sustainable Energy Week (CSEW), held from October 1-3, brought together a dynamic community of leaders, innovators, and stakeholders dedicated to advancing sustainable energy across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Among the highlights of this year’s event was the session hosted by the Regional Network in Energy for Women in the Middle East and North Africa Region (RENEW MENA). This key platform shines a light on the importance of gender inclusion in the energy sector, where women in many MENA countries account for less than 10% of the workforce, with only an average of 5% in technical or managerial roles.
RENEW MENA boosts women’s role in energy by connecting them with role models, fostering mentorship, building confidence, and creating safe spaces. The initiative focuses on three pillars:
Since June 2022, the RENEW MENA program, facilitated by the World Bank with ESMAP support, has championed gender inclusion in the energy sector across MENA. Partnering with 24 organizations, 15 actively reported results, implementing 473 activities that impacted over 22,000 girls and women by December 2023.
Key achievements include 20 STEM workshops for 1,200+ female students, 3,500+ scholarships, 82 hires in technical roles, and 255 professional development workshops for 2,400+ women. Mentorship programs benefited 350 professionals, and nearly 5,000 women entrepreneurs received targeted support.
RENEW MENA's Expanding Influence
In collaboration with the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), RENEW MENA leveraged the CSEW stage to emphasize the critical need to increase female representation within the sector. In her remarks, H.E. Eng. Amani Al-Azzam, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jordan, acknowledged the network's impact.
“RENEW MENA is convening partners to boost women’s role in energy. We hosted their conference this year in Amman, and I saw how it triggered dialogue and mobilized efforts to drive real change.”
Currently, women in the MENA energy sector hold fewer than 5% of leadership roles. RENEW MENA's work in Cairo sought to change this by encouraging stakeholders to create more opportunities for women to lead and innovate.
Empowering Women through Mentorship and Skill Development
One of RENEW MENA’s primary objectives is to bridge the gap in opportunities for women in technical and leadership roles. By providing female STEM students with pathways to careers in energy, the network actively counters the trend in MENA where only 20% of STEM graduates are women entering energy fields. Dr. Nada Sharaf, a lecturer at the German International University, highlighted this during her talk:
“I see a strong interest from female STEM students wanting to break into energy fields. With the support of RENEW MENA’s internships and training, we can better support them in building energy careers.”
RENEW MENA’s collaborations with universities and energy companies have already facilitated internships, mentoring, and training for over 2400 women across the region, providing them with skills essential for the industry.
Building a Network for Sustainable Change: The RENEW MENA - Egypt Chapter
A cornerstone of this year's CSEW session was the formal gathering of the RENEW MENA Egypt Chapter, which aims to enhance local collaboration to support inclusive energy policies and projects. The session brought together prominent leaders, including Saif El-Demerdash, Vice President at Schneider Electric, who underscored the importance of corporate mentorship:
“Tackling women’s empowerment in the energy sector, I was honored to join RENEW MENA’s gathering to share how Schneider Electric’s programs are guiding women on their professional journey.”
Corporate partnerships with RENEW MENA have already helped more than 350 women secure mentorships with industry leaders, equipping them to advance within their careers. By fostering such cross-sector collaborations, RENEW MENA ensures that gender-responsive initiatives are at the forefront of MENA’s renewable energy transformation.
Lighting the Path Forward
As RENEW MENA continues to grow, it is setting an example for gender-inclusive practices across MENA.
In the calendar year 2024, RENEW MENA partners have committed to implementing around 540 activities, benefiting over 13,000 women across the region. These efforts include 20 STEM outreach sessions engaging approximately 1,000 female students and 70 scholarships supporting 1,600 students in their education. Around 20 internships will create pathways for female students, with plans to hire 120 women professionals across various sectors. To drive professional growth, 250 workshops and training sessions will focus on personal and career development for nearly 4,000 women. Additionally, targeted initiatives aim to empower 4,200 women entrepreneurs, equipping them with resources to thrive in the clean energy market.
With support for regional partnerships, mentorship programs, and targeted policies, RENEW MENA stands as a powerful force for sustainable change, demonstrating that the energy sector is strongest when it includes diverse voices.
The way forward is clear: a gender-inclusive energy sector is critical for achieving the region’s sustainability goals. RENEW MENA, alongside its partners, is energizing the future—one empowered woman at a time.
*RENEW MENA is World Bank initiative financed by ESMAP – Energy Sector Management Assistance Program