Women & Energy Carnival 2025 Hosted in Bangladesh

• The Women and Energy Carnival 2025 was conducted by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) under WEE Project
• The event sought to identify and honor the contributions of women in Bangladesh's renewable energy industry

The MJF Women and Energy Carnival 2025 developed under its Women Empowerment and Energy (WEE) Project, gathered leaders committed to the development of women in the renewable take up of the energy sector in Bangladesh.

The carnival ran all day at the Agargaon's Liberation War Museum, showcasing stands, cultural activities, stories, and policy discussions which enabled discussions about the potential of the transition to renewables in Bangladesh to be more inclusive, sustainable, and gender responsive.

The keynote address was given by Banasree Mitra Neogi, Director of the Rights and Governance Programmes at MJF - she re-emphasized the need for gender-equitable participation in the energy sector.

She remarked on how the absence of renewable energy access in women’s work creates waste of time, and reiterated the need to act quickly towards renewable energy practices.

Shaheen Anam, Executive Director of MJF and Chair of the opening session emphasized the value of the event in allowing women's voices and centering women in Bangladesh's transition to sustainable and green energy. She alluded to the importance of recognizing women’s unpaid care work.

Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary (Environment & Climate Change) at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh, underscored the importance of ensuring women's equal participation in decision-making processes and also asserted we have space for consideration of how we can move forward with renewable energy development through technological advancement.

Md Mahbubur Rahman, Deputy Secretary of SREDA, highlighted women as the key to achieving climate actions and green finance. Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director for CPD, added that women must also be considered in the running of decentralized electricity systems and the continuity of electricity production in the future.

Other speakers, including Sharif Jamil, Member Secretary of DHORA, and Tanzina Dilshad, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh, called for the implementation of inclusive policies and greater women's leadership at the same time in green energy.

They also highlighted the EU's continuing commitment to support gender responsive energy initiatives.

The event concluded with reflections from development partners and leaders from the private sector shining a spotlight on their contributions to the Women and Energy Carnival 2025 - an entry point to making progress towards a just and sustainable energy future in Bangladesh.