The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) have opened the call for applications for the third edition of their joint Women in Wind Global Leadership Program.
The program is designed to accelerate the careers of women in the wind industry, facilitating empowerment and career development by providing training, mentorship, knowledge-sharing and fostering a global network of professionals in the industry.
In 2020, Women in Wind and IRENA jointly published ‘Wind energy: A gender perspective’, a study showing that women make up only 21% of the global wind energy workforce, with only 8% of senior management roles held by women.
The study also highlighted that two-thirds of women in the wind industry perceive gender-related barriers to their career development.
GWEC policy and operations director Joyce Lee said: “The wind sector is at the heart of the energy transition, and gender diversity is critical for building a skilled and dynamic workforce to unlock innovation and drive growth in our industry.
“This is especially crucial now, as the pandemic has hampered global progress towards closing the gender gap. With the wind sector on a path for record growth this year, gender diversity must be a priority for a just and green recovery.”
GWNET executive director and founding member Christine Lins said: “In the second edition of the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program, we were inspired by the commitment of mentors and mentees from over 13 countries and five continents to foster a global professional network, share knowledge and experiences and empower one another despite Covid-19 limitations.
“In 2021, we look forward to welcoming a new group of inspiring women from across key emerging markets for wind power, and to continue our work to urgently address the gender gap which exists in the wind sector.”
The third edition of the Global Leadership Program builds upon the milestones of the 2020 edition, including: five knowledge-transfer webinars on industry topics, a special workshop on negotiation skills with the chief executive of TerraPro Solutions and an active online storytelling campaign.
A Women in Wind Blog, the appointment of Women in Wind Global Ambassadors in eight different countries, a Global Ambassadors Forum and the organisation’s first Partner Forum were also included.
In 2021, the program will welcome up to 15 participants across all disciplines of the sector, from or based in the following emerging markets for wind: Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
The public application period is open from 18 January until 14 February.