Equality Initiative Ambassador:
Jacquiline Materu (she/her)

Why advancing Women in Energy is so important

In Africa over 600m people lack electricity, over 900m people lack clean cooking solutions. Women and children pay the cost of cooking with biomass. In Tanzania, nearly 35,000 women and children die each year due to respiratory illness caused smoke, rape cases when they go fetch firewood are just countless since most are not reported. At times they have to walk for 4-6 hours just to fetch firewood. When they return home, they are beaten for taking ‘’too long”. This is one of the main reasons for gender-based violence and sometimes divorce in rural areas. For children, they miss school. These people are voiceless. In my country, when prices of fuel increase even by few shillings, it’s a ‘stand-still’. Everyone has a megaphone (social media). People in rural areas don’t have electricity so mobile phone is a “luxury”. Programs that advance Women in Energy give a Voice to the Voiceless.

Energy Field

• Renewable Energy Sources
• Cross-Cutting Technologies

Sector

• Government: Ministry of Energy

Languages

• English
• Swahili

I'm offering the following support for the Equality Initiative

• Promote Equality Initiative activities, events, or achievements by speaking publicly and/or privately

I'm offering the following support to female students and professionals transitioning to or starting out in the clean energy field

• Provide advice to early career professionals on finding, applying, and receiving job offers or how to "move up" in clean energy, and where possible actively support other women to advance in their careers
• Collect and share information on best practices for advancing women in the energy field
• Share how to gain experience and increase leadership in their sector