US provides P38M in grants to promote women’s role in clean energy

USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks, Ambassador Delia Albert, Diwata-Women Founding President Atty. Patricia Bunye, International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists-Asia Pacific Nation Network Chairperson Engr. Juana Tapel, May Rose Imperial, and USAID Philippines Energy Policy Specialist Lily Gutierrez attend the Women Champions in Sustainable Climate Solutions Forum held in Manila on March 8 and 9.   | photo courtesy of US Embassy

MANILA, PHILIPPINES —On International Women’s Day March 8, the United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced two new grant projects valued at P37.9 million ($690,000) to boost women’s participation in energy resilience, innovation, and security in the Philippines.

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 the Women Engineers Network of the Philippine Technological Council, Inc. (PTC).

The awarding was done during the Women Champions in Sustainable Climate Solutions Forum held on March 8 and 9. More than 100 women leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators attended the event to exchange ideas and propose solutions that 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 P29 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 P8.9 million ($162,000) to implement the “Women Engineers as Instruments for Sustainable Engineering in Renewable Energies (WISER) Project” which will increase the enrollment 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 in line with its 2022-2030 Climate Strategy.    /rcg

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