WE Connect co-founder Karen De Bruyn
While South Africa has forums and conferences specific to women in energy, WE Connect co-founder Karen De Bruyn laments that there is no platform specifically focused on connecting women in the renewable energy space.
WE Connect was launched as a networking forum for women in this sector in South Africa.
De Bruyn, who is also G7 Renewable Energies’ development head, explains that there are formal mentorship programmes focusing on women in renewable energy to accelerate the careers of selected women and says this paves the way to “have opportunities that are open for all”.
WE Connect focuses on renewable energy as this industry is “a decade young”, she adds, noting that before the market becomes “too mature in its ways”, the forum aims to correct imbalances in gender diversity.
South Africa’s energy sector is the country’s largest contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon energy sector and increasing reliance on renewable energy is the easiest way to reduce its emissions.
However, considering that the installed capacity of utility-scale wind and solar energy will increase from 3.4 GW to 26 GW by 2030, according to the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019, De Bruyn notes that the successful roll-out of this “requires a diverse workforce”.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) Gender Report 2020, “women represent only 21% of the wind energy workforce (based on survey responses), compared with 32% in renewables overall, and 22% in traditional energy industries like oil and gas”.
A survey completed by the WE Connect network showed that 70% of networking takes place at conferences and seminars, which are not typically “well attended” by women starting their careers, as these “tend to be company sponsored”.
This is what WE Connect aims to address, De Bruyn explains, noting that measures needed to support women include networking, mentorship, training and sharing of experiences. WE Connect is also considered a grassroots movement and is organised by volunteers.
Men are also encouraged to join and sign up for events, which De Bruyn says will assist in the goal of improving gender diversity in the industry, as “we require everyone on board in order to transition to a more diverse workforce”.
The forum’s virtual launch last month attracted women and men from across South Africa, Kenya, Namibia and the UK. Before the launch event the forum planned to hose one event per quarter and host the events face-to-face.
However, taking the current Covid-19 situation into account, the forum has placed all in-person event and expansion plans on hold, with the remainder of the year’s events to take place online, and therefore remain open to all women working in the renewable energy space, regardless of geographic location.
Having the events online is also enabling the forum to have events more frequently, as well as a low-carbon footprint – leading the forum to now roll out monthly events from July through to November, and then again from February next year.
“Although the majority of our network reside in South Africa, aligning with our aim to create this forum for South Africans, our long-term ambition is to have a WE Connect network established in all African countries with a renewable energy sector, and a suitable champion to drive local efforts,” comments WE Connect co-founder Mercia Grimbeek.
Grimbeek is also chair of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA).
In the next 12 months, industry members can expect to participate in monthly online events covering topics such as work-life balance, especially in light of parenthood, how to negotiate salaries, how to lead authentically in a male-dominated space, building a personal brand and how to prepare for year-end reviews and interviews.