Gender Inclusion Highlighted as Key to Energy Transition at CSW70

• Some of the discussions held at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)
• Had participants from various government, private, and development institutions
• Focus on strategic investment in gender inclusion in energy transition

At the 70th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), a broad array of stakeholders, including representatives from government, the private sector, and development institutions, gathered to discuss strategic investments to include gender in the global energy transition.

The theme of the high-level meeting was "Catalyzing Energy Justice: Energizing Communities through Women and Sports." The meeting emphasized how inclusive energy systems can contribute to economic resilience, competitiveness, and scalability across the long term.

In opening the discussion, Syndoph Endoni, Chargé d’Affaires of Nigeria to the UN, stated these energy access relates directly to development outcomes and economic inclusiveness. He identified that energy access serves as a foundational enabler of opportunity and progress.

He noted how not successfully integrating women into energy access, financing, and decision-making systems could limit both the effectiveness and fairness of the global energy transition.

Omopeju Afanu, Chair of the CSW70 Planning Committee and Co-Chair of the Global Working Group for the Girls in Energy Project has framed energy access as a primary economic input that will improve productivity and market participation, particularly in emerging economies.

In addition, she noted that gaps in access to energy continue to have a negative impact on women-led businesses and limit growth opportunities and access to financing for these women-owned businesses.

The discussions about considerations associated with implementation were very thorough, but Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa (co-author of the Girls in Energy Programme) described the Girls in Energy Project as a model linking the development of human capital and the deployment of renewable energy.

The program was focused on developing pathways for women and girls to have access to jobs, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles in the energy industry while also supporting energy access at the community level through economic activity.

Overall, the discussion confirmed the link between energy access, enterprise development, and productivity, especially in the renewable energy industry. Participants also pointed out those ongoing gaps in inclusion create a development issue as well as a missed opportunity for economic growth.

With less than five years remaining for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030, stakeholders stressed the need to move towards coordinated investments that are supported by collaboration between government, private sector, and development finance actors instead of fragmented initiatives.