The workshop, “Mainstreaming Gender in Energy Policy and Practice was organized by AEDB in collaboration with ENERGIA International, an International NGO based in the Netherlands whose main objective is to ensure the inclusion of the gender component in national policies and plans via awareness and advocacy campaigns. GTZ and UNDP also contributed to the event.

AEDB has agreed to be the National Focal Point in Pakistan for the ENERGIA Network Group.

In the first session, all participants were divided into four groups, each guided by a moderator who assisted them to come up with recommendations, some of which will eventually be incorporated in the Medium-Term RE Draft Policy, currently being reviewed by the Policy Review Committee (PRC) of AEDB in order to make it gender responsive. Moderators consisted of gender experts from GTZ and ENERGIA.

Participants included a cross-section of people from both the public and the private sector from across the county who focused on the Socio-Economic and Environmental dimensions of the RE Policy. They also pointed out what the benefits and challenges were towards engendering it. Impacts of RE provision, both negative and positive, on women, men and gender relations were also discussed. Through-out the workshop, the main thread of the discussion remained on how gender awareness could help sustainable RE and reduce energy poverty amongst women.

The workshop concluded with group leaders making their recommendations. Mr. Arif Alauddin, CEO AEDB also presented tokens of appreciation to the moderators and organizers at the end of the session.