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UNDP empowers women, promotes gender equality through energy management system training
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The heat of the engine room is not an obstacle for the heroines of the Srikandi Energy program. (Courtesy of Biro KLIK Kementerian ESDM)
I
n an effort to boost gender equality and female participation in the energy management sector, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held the Srikandi Energy conservation training program recently to train and certify more women as energy auditors and energy managers.
The Srikandi Energy program was born of the MTRE3 Project, a collaboration between UNDP Indonesia and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
In the process of technical assistance in Energy Management Systems (EnMS) with 3 SOEs, the project found that the participation of women in EnMS training series was below 25 percent, at times even below 10 percent, despite encouragements made by consultants and the project management unit.
The gender gap issue is notable as it can be observed on a global scale. According to the ASEAN Energy 2021 report, globally women represent 32 percent of the renewable energy workforce, meaning that the involvement of women in energy efficiency might be less than the figure mentioned above.
In response, the Srikandi Energy program is designed to encourage female practitioners to get certified as energy auditors and energy managers. The name Srikandi, referring to the heroic figure in Indonesian folklore, was chosen to present the participants as heroes in energy conservation due to the high-risk nature of the role.
L.N. Puspa Dewi, the Director of Energy Conservation, noted that the Srikandi Energy conservation training was very much relevant for the availability of more human resources in general, including for women to become energy auditors and energy managers.
Meanwhile, UNDP-MTRE3 National Project Manager Boyke Lakaseru emphasized the importance of encouraging women to take on more roles, especially in the field of energy efficiency.
The gender responsive Srikandi Energy conservation training program ran from Oct. 25 to 30 at the Aston Bogor Hotel and Resort, counting 23 women and five men among its participants.
Training participants were provided with technical knowledge and practical experience in energy conservation, along with soft skills in energy efficiency work and environmental protection by shaping a new mindset for women and society at large. These include women’s involvement in the real action of energy conservation, making better use of energy in their company or institution, as well as mobilizing energy planning to the implementation phase.
Following the assessment at the end of the program, a total of six top performers were selected to receive a competency test to ensure their certification as energy auditors and managers. Out of the six, UNDP Indonesia financed two energy managers and two energy auditors, while the remaining two were sponsored by EnerCoss and LSP HAKE respectively.
During the closing ceremony, the head of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Center for Human Resources Development for Electricity, New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (PPSDM KEBTKE), Laode Sulaeman, explained that the training program was important because the energy management was not an easy task.
“It requires support from various parties as well as the participation of women as Energy Conservation heroines, as currently the number of certified auditors and managers is very small. Out of the 1,128 energy auditors, only 51 people or around 4.5 percent are women, while of the 1,273 certified energy managers, women make up only 3.4 percent or just around 43 people,” he said.
