The US government said it is supporting projects to boost women’s participation in energy resilience, innovation, and security in the Philippines.
The US Embassy said two new projects have been granted P37.9 million ($690,000) in funding support through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on International Women’s Day March 8, a press statement from the embassy said.
USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks formally awarded the Women in Energy Leadership, Innovation, and Resilience grant to the Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. and to the Women Engineers Network of the Philippine Technological Council, Inc. (PTC) during the forum of the Women Champions in Sustainable Climate Solutions on March 8 and 9, the statement said.
More than 100 women leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators attended the event to exchange ideas and propose solutions to address climate risks.
“Women empowerment and climate change are two pressing issues of our time. They are inextricably intertwined,” USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Eubanks said.
“Climate change exacerbates gender inequalities and developmental gaps. Women have a unique perspective on these issues as they often bear the brunt of climate shocks and stresses.”
Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. received Php 29 million ($528,000) to expand “Tanging Tanglaw: Turning IP Women into Solar Engineers,” a program that trains elderly women from indigenous communities to build and maintain solar-powered pump systems to electrify their neighborhoods.
PTC received Php 8.9 million ($162,000) to implement the “Women Engineers as Instruments for Sustainable Engineering in Renewable Energies (WISER) Project” which will increase the enrolment of girls in renewable energy engineering programs through mentoring, technical seminars, competitions, and renewable energy campaigns in eight cities under the USAID Cities Development Initiative.
“When we talk about sustainable operations, it is not just about transitioning to cleaner energy. It also means opening management positions to women and giving them a voice in the energy transition,” ENGIE Services Philippines General Manager Louella Caridad said during the Women Champions in Sustainable Climate Solutions panel discussion.
Through the Energy Secure Philippines Activity, USAID positions women at the forefront of climate action and sustainable energy development, through its 2022 – 2030 Climate Strategy, the Embassy statement said.
