- The Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme has released the ‘Best Practices for Gender Diversity at Industry Events’ guide, which has been endorsed by wind energy associations across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
- Industry events signal the direction of the market, provide a public face for wind energy and showcase thought leadership and role models in the wider energy system, and are therefore a crucial platform to mainstream gender diversity for the wind energy industry.
- The guide compiles best practices for gender diversity in key aspects of events such as planning, speakers, programming, networking and communications, acting as a guideline for the industry to adapt diversity principles to their local context.
10 December 2019, Madrid – On the occasion of COP25’s Gender Day, 14 wind energy associations representing the industry across the world have committed to uphold best practices for gender diversity at their future industry events. Led by the Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme, a joint initiative between the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), a guide for ‘Best Practices for Gender Diversity at Industry Events’ was published today to support member associations in mainstreaming gender diversity across their events.
“The wind industry can be a leader in promoting the role of women as agents of change, collaborators and innovators in the global energy transition. As an industry built around sustainability, our events should reflect the workforce of the future. GWEC organises events for the wind industry worldwide, and we recognise that diversity challenges differ in each country. That’s why these best practices are designed to be adapted to different local contexts. Globally, from Brazil to Japan, we hope this guide will empower and showcase female leadership in wind energy and help to inspire the next generation of women in wind,” said Joyce Lee, Policy and Operations Director at GWEC.
“Events are important fora to highlight the values and trends in an industry, and gender diversity should be a priority for industries leading the energy transition. At COP25 there is an urgency to dramatically increase the deployment of clean energy solutions in order stay on-track for the Paris targets. To do this, we need a larger talent pool in the renewables workforce, which requires more female role models and positive gender norms in clean energy. GWNET is thrilled to see so many wind associations around the world committing to increasing inclusivity at their events, and we hope to see other key energy transition technologies join the wind sector in this important initiative”, added Christine Lins, Executive Director at GWNET.
The ‘Best Practices for Gender Diversity at Industry Events’ guide provides insights on what meaningful inclusivity can look like at events, going beyond quotas to mainstream diversity in key aspects of events. By implementing these best practices, events can address unconscious bias and unequal representation, positively impact corporate culture and encourage greater gender diversity in the wind energy sector.
This alignment of best practices in the wind energy industry is part of a global effort to empower female leadership and increase diversity in the wind energy sector. In 2020, this effort will continue with a scaling-up of mentorship and career development activities under the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program, and the nomination of Ambassadors for Women in Wind in countries around the world.
The following wind and renewable energy associations endorse this document and commit to upholding best practices for gender diversity at their future industry events:
The full guide can be downloaded here.
About Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme
Women in Wind Global Leadership Programme was launched in April 2019 by the Global Wind Energy Council and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition. Its objective is to advance the role of women as agents of change in society and the energy transition, and to promote best practices within the wind industry. The program is designed to accelerate the careers of women in the wind industry, support their pathway to senior leadership positions and foster a global network of mentorship, knowledge-sharing and empowerment. More information about Women in Wind Global Leadership Program is available here.
About the Global Wind Energy Council
Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) is a member-based organisation that represents the entire wind energy sector. The members of GWEC represent over 1,500 companies, organisations and institutions in more than 80 countries, including manufacturers, developers, component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies. See more: www.gwec.net
About the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition
Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) empowers women in energy through interdisciplinary networking, advocacy, training, coaching and mentoring, and services related to projects and financing. GWNET seeks to address the current gender imbalances in the energy sector and to promote gender-sensitive action around the energy transition in all parts of the world. See more: www.globalwomennet.org
