VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Assistant secretary-general of the United Nations and deputy executive director of UN Women, Asa Regner, has underlined the challenges to women’s access to sustainable energy.

The challenges include lack of training and education, harmful social norms and biases, unequal power relations within households and communities, and issues regarding women’s right to leadership, Regner remarked while speaking at a webinar on ‘Energy Transition and Rural Women’ on Thursday.

Women in most developing countries experience energy poverty differently than men, she noted.

Women are mainly responsible for household and community energy provision in developing countries, such as by collecting biomass fuel, which is often a time-consuming and physically demanding task, she explained.

“This limits women from accessing decent wage employment, education opportunities, and decreases the options for social and political interaction outside the households,” she highlighted.

To this end, a transition to sustainable energy would be the key enabler for economic and social development, poverty reduction, and better health condition for both women and men, according to Regner.

Access to sustainable energy will create opportunities for women’s economic empowerment and allow women to take part in and drive sustainable development in their communities, she added.

Regner also lauded Indonesia’s commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women, especially during its G20 Presidency under the overall theme of recover together, recover stronger and amid preparations for its resuming the chair of ASEAN in 2023.

Under the theme, Indonesia is aiming at ensuring inclusiveness, including for women and girls.

It is focusing on three key agendas during its G20 Presidency: global health architecture, digital transformation, and energy transition. (Antaranews)