Beirut, 30 July 2019 (ESCWA)-- Within the framework of the “Regional Initiative for Promoting Small-Scale Renewable Energy Applications in rural areas of the Arab Region (REGEND), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) kicked off this morning at the UN House in Beirut the “National Meeting on Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurial Development in the Rural Context: The Role of Renewable Energy”.
 
Participants in the meeting, which will last until Wednesday 31 July, include local, regional, and international experts on gender and energy in addition to representatives of non-governmental organizations, government ministries and entities, UN organizations, research institutions and academia.
 
Chief of Energy Section Sustainable Development Policies Division at ESCWA Radia Sedaoui said that improving gender equality and social integration is essential in achieving the development aspect of many energy programs. “Achieving Sustainable Development (SDG) 5 on Gender Equality, and SDG 7 on Clean and Affordable Energy, secures a real link between gender equality and access to modern and sustainable energy,” she added.
 
The meeting aims at sharing experiences on the challenges and opportunities facing women empowerment and entrepreneurial development in the energy sector and specifically the renewable energy sector. Practical recommendations will be made to mainstream gender equality and human rights in policy planning, capacity-building and awareness-raising in rural areas. The key messages and recommendations of the meeting will serve as the basis for suggesting a gender mainstreaming and human rights strategy and action plans to support policy makers, government and local institutions in operationalizing a gender equality and human rights approach in the energy sector in Arab countries. These elements will serve in developing the capacity building programs and awareness-raising campaigns to be undertaken within the framework of REGEND and to be suggested for local and public institutions for follow-up after the project completion to ensure sustainability.

 
For more information:
-Ms Rania Harb, Public Information Assistant, +961-70-008-879; email: harb1@un.org
-Ms Maryam Sleiman, Public Information Assistant, +9611978815, email: sleiman2@un.org