Maputo, May 9 2023 – The Graça Machel Trust (GMT), in partnership with Sasol-Mozambique and the Foundation for Community Development / Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Comunidade (FDC), today launched the Women in Energy Conference Series under the theme “Laying the Foundation for an enabling environment for Women in Energy”. The Conference will bring together key stakeholders in Africa’s Energy and Power Ecosystem to deliver curated and directed content on developments in Mozambique and Africa’s energy and power sector. It will also explore women’s plight in energy and invite stakeholders to support the conference series, recommend solutions to factors identified as structural barriers towards an inclusive energy and power sector.
“Mozambique is about to become a major energy hub in Southern Africa, with a range of ambitious projects planned to meet the region’s growing energy demand. To ensure that this development is inclusive, it is vital to ensure that women, youth and persons with disabilities are given access to the sector as entrepreneurs, professionals, service providers, and investors. Sasol’s support for the GMT Energy Conference Series will help make this a reality, creating a more diverse and equitable energy system for the region.” – HE Graça Machel, Founder, GMT and FDC.
The GMT Energy Conference will be held annually in March, coinciding with International Women’s Day (March 8th), with the first edition scheduled for March 2024. The annual conferences will discuss and determine solutions around six thematic areas; access to markets, finance, technology, skills development, networks, and credible market information. This initiative seeks to ensure inclusion and transparency in the energy sector in the region.
Speakers for the inaugural Conference include HE Mrs Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust and FDC, Honourable Minister Carlos Zacarias, Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME) for Mozambique, Ms Priscillah Mabelane, Executive Vice President of Sasol, Dr Diogo Milagre Executive Board Member Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Comunidade (FDC), as well as experts from key economic sectors including energy, finance and women entrepreneurs.
Access to markets is a critical challenge for women in the energy sector, who often face significant barriers to entry. Through the Women in Energy Conferences Series, participants will be able to identify and address barriers and create a more level playing field for women entrepreneurs and investors. Additionally, by focusing on access to finance, technology, and skills, the conferences will help build the capacity of women-led businesses, enabling them to compete more effectively in the energy sector and contribute to developing inclusive energy systems in Africa.
“The conferences will be tailored to empower women to make informed decisions regarding the energy sector. Participants can choose an area of focus, access credible market information, and align themselves with relevant actors in the energy ecosystem. By attending these conferences, women can organise themselves to participate effectively and sustainably in the energy sector” – Ms Shiphra Chisha, GMT Director of programmes.
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About the Graça Machel Trust
The Graça Machel Trust is an organisation that works across the continent to drive positive change across women’s and children’s rights, governance, and leadership. Through our support of local initiatives and connecting key stakeholders at a regional, national and sub-national level, we help catalyse action where needed. By using our convening power, the Trust seeks to amplify the voices of women and children in Africa, influence governance, and promote women’s contributions and leadership in Africa’s economic, social and political development. For more, please visit: www.gracamacheltrust.org
Media Contacts:
Asania Aphane – Communications Manager: Asaniaa@gracamacheltrust.org
Sarah Mpata – Senior Communications Officer: Sarahm@gracamacheltrust.org
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.