CGEP's Jully Meriño Participates in Energy Conference to Address Gender Gap in the Sector
Jully Meriño, Director of the Women in Energy Program at Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), joined international representatives, government officials, and organizations at the Energía + Mujer conference to discuss bridging the gender gap in the energy sector. The event, aimed at promoting public policy and sharing best practices, was inaugurated by Chile’s Minister of Energy, Susana Jiménez, and Minister of Women and Gender Equality, Isabel Plá.
Minister Plá emphasized the importance of such initiatives, stating, “These types of activities are important because they invite women to look at careers that for a long time have been distant to us.” She commended the efforts of Minister Jiménez and the energy sector in “leveling the playing field and encouraging women in our country to enter the world of energy.”
During the opening session, “International Actions and Alliances to Promote the Insertion of Women in Clean Energy”, Meriño highlighted the critical need for early education to spark girls’ interest in energy-related fields. She advocated for enhanced educational programming and replicable initiatives to increase the visibility of women, addressing the current lack of female applicants.
Merino detailed the efforts of CGEP’s Women in Energy (WIE) Program, which includes small group discussions, public events, leadership development workshops, networking mixers, internship stipends, podcasts, and support for student groups. To attract more women to the sector, she suggested companies consider gender-specific job descriptions and implement family-supportive policies.
Looking ahead, WIE’s strategic goals include organizing workshops and seminars, providing professional development opportunities, facilitating a pipeline of female talent for energy companies, creating an “Energy Women’s Resource” list, and launching a venture capital competition for women-owned energy startups.
The session, moderated by Carlos Finat, Executive Director of Chile’s Renewable Energy Association (ACERA), also featured insights from Annette Hollas (C3E Initiative), Virginia Snyder (IDB), Cecilia Tam (IEA), and Maricel Marion Sauterel (UN Women).
A second session focused on public policies and government actions to promote women in the clean energy sector, with contributions from experts and officials from Austria, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, and Uruguay.
About the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP):
CGEP provides an independent, interdisciplinary, and nonpartisan platform for data-driven analysis, education, and actionable recommendations on global energy issues. Its mission is to empower public and private sector leaders to make informed choices about the energy system's current and future challenges.
About CGEP’s Women in Energy (WIE) Program:
The WIE Program advances equality and opportunity for women in energy by addressing barriers to entry, improving retention, and supporting career growth through education, visibility, and networking initiatives.
See pictures here.