BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 3. Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy, with support from the World Bank’s Country Office in Kyrgyzstan, held a seminar on developing institutional mechanisms to promote gender equality in the energy and renewable energy sectors.
According to the ministry’s press service, the seminar took place in Bishkek on October 30 and brought together representatives of energy companies, government agencies, scientific and educational institutions, and the Kyrgyzstan Women in Energy Association, as well as a delegation from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy.
The event brought together more than 60 participants.
Deputy Energy Minister Mirlan Parkhanov delivered opening remarks on behalf of the Kyrgyz energy minister.
Discussions focused on increasing women’s participation in the energy sector, strengthening their professional skills, expanding career opportunities, and exploring new opportunities arising from the development of renewable energy sources.
Elzada Sargashkaeva, Adviser to the Minister of Energy and Chair of the Ministry’s Gender Council, outlined the council’s role in promoting gender equality and expanding opportunities for women in the energy sector.
Participants also reviewed the work of the Kyrgyzstan Women in Energy Association, established in February 2022. It is the country’s only officially registered specialized association of women in the energy sector. The organization brings together women specialists, builds professional connections, promotes women’s leadership, and supports young professionals.
Representatives of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy shared their experience in establishing and operating gender councils, developing their activities at the regional level, and implementing reforms. The exchange of experience provided an opportunity to discuss further cooperation and the application of successful practices in Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector.
The gender component of Electric Stations OJSC, which has employed 10 female engineers with the support of the Asian Development Bank, drew strong interest. Company Director General Ulugbek Mamyraliev spoke about it, and Ulan Orozoev, consultant to the Ministry of Energy on the "Gender Development" project, presented it. Specific examples showed how women can be brought into technical professions and given conditions for professional fulfillment.
An important part of the seminar was the discussion of the role of science and education in training specialists for the energy sector of the future. N. K. Degembaeva, Head of the Renewable Energy Sources Department at Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov, Candidate of Technical Sciences and Associate Professor, presented opportunities for women’s professional development in renewable energy. She focused on research potential, engineering education, and encouraging young women to pursue technical and research careers.
Following the seminar, participants stressed the need to further develop institutional mechanisms for gender equality and to strengthen cooperation among energy companies, scientific institutions, and professional associations.
