Women continued to be underrepresented in energy discussions and excluded from decision-making processes. One of the essential requirements for empowering women was to mainstream gender into the policies and programs of institutions engaged in the energy sector and to give a seat to organizations representing women and women themselves.

During this Phase 3, ENERGIA continued to participate in key international events on energy. We collaborated with other leading international institutions and initiatives engaged in gender, energy, poverty reduction and sustainable development. These events provided an opportunity for new members of the network to actively engage in international events and apply guidelines and learnings acquired during ENERGIA trainings and mentorship programs.

Thanks to these advocacy activities, which have been running since Phase 1, ENERGIA succeeded in giving gender the attention it deserved in the international arena. Now, slowly the notion began to grow that ENERGIA would need to expand its horizons beyond small-scale household solutions and gender inclusiveness in the energy sector at large. Other major developments and trends in energy, including climate change, the energy crisis, the rise of renewables, the role of local communities, and the extent of their implications for women’s energy access, social status and economic empowerment needed to be explored.