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[Nuku’alofa – Tonga, Tuesday 1 October 2024] The Pacific Power Association (PPA) and World Bank today announced the findings of the ‘Baseline Report on Women’s Employment in the Pacific Power Sector’, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of increasing women’s participation in the sector.
The launch was held at the 31st Annual PPA Conference being held this week in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, hosted by Tonga Power Limited.
Speaking at the report launch, Chief Guest and Acting Prime Minister for Tonga, Hon. Samiu Kuita Vaipulu said: “the Pacific Power Association and the World Bank’s Pacific Women in Power Program aligns perfectly with our national energy aspirations, and it underscores our ongoing commitment to empower women in the energy sector.
“Together, I know we can create a supportive and an enabling environment where women can thrive and actively contribute to our energy goals.”
The Acting Prime Minister added that Tonga is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse energy sector, with the Tonga Energy Road Map Plus (TERM Plus) 2021-2035 as the source of the nation’s vision for a sustainable and equitable energy future.
“We recognize that achieving our ambitious goals of 70% renewable energy by 2025 and 100% by 2035 requires the talents and contributions of all Tongans, regardless of gender,” Hon. Samiu Kuita Vaipulu said.
“TERM Plus emphasizes gender inclusion as a critical component of our energy strategy. We are dedicated to creating opportunities for women to participate and lead in the energy sector.”
The Acting Prime Minister highlighted that Tonga’s energy roadmap includes specific measures to ensure that women are not only participants but also leaders in the transition to renewable energy. This includes targeted training programs, mentorship opportunities, and policies that promote gender equality.
The Pacific Women in Power Program (PWIP) and baseline report findings
The Pacific Women in Power Program was launched and endorsed by Pacific Energy Ministers in May 2023 at the 5th Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Minister’s Meeting held in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The program’s development objective is to enhance women’s employment across various Pacific Island energy institutions to build a strong energy sector with a diverse workforce.
Pacific Women in Power is implemented by the Social Inclusion and Energy Global Practices of The World Bank in partnership with the PPA and in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC). The program is funded by the Canada-World Bank Clean Energy and Forest Climate Facility under the World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).
Following its launch, the program collected baseline data from participating PPA member utilities, as well as government entities responsible for the energy sector.
The data collection has been completed with seven government agencies responsible for the energy sector and 14 energy utilities across 10 World Bank member countries, including Tonga Power Ltd and the Tonga Government Department of Energy.
World Bank Global Gender Lead and Task Team Leader Pacific Women in Power, Ms Helle Buchhave, said, “Our program supports energy utilities across the Pacific to take action to increase women’s employment in the energy sector, because to prepare for tomorrow, the energy sector will need to draw from all the talent in the Pacific.”
Ms Buchhave added that formal gender strategies are rare among utilities, with women often concentrated in administrative roles.
“Currently less than 19 percent of employees are women, and only five percent hold technical positions.”
Other key findings from the report include opportunities for utilities and government departments to take action in the following areas to increase women’s employment:
- Gender equality policies and procedures
- School-to-work programs and targeting women’s recruitment
- Appropriate retention policies
- Women’s leadership and succession planning
- Gender safety, workplace equipment and facility audits
- Development of company gender profiles
“Going forward, the World Bank Pacific Women in Power Program will support energy utilities across the Pacific in these actions, including the PWIP trailblazer, Tonga Power,” Ms Buchhave said.
Tonga Power commitment
Tonga Power CEO, Finau Moa, affirmed the company’s commitment to addressing gender gaps and working closely with the World Bank’s Pacific Women in Power Program.
“A gender-balanced workforce makes business sense, and we look forward to addressing the opportunities identified in the survey,” Mr. Moa said.
Mr Moa added that TPL would regularly monitor related progress and work closely with the World Bank’s Pacific Women in Power Program to promoting gender equality and women’s employment.
“We are grateful for this opportunity and also wish other participating government departments and utilities the best in their efforts towards a brighter, more inclusive future for our Pacific energy sector.”
The report provides a roadmap for increasing gender diversity in the Pacific energy sector, offering tangible steps for governments and utilities to enhance women’s participation and leadership.
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For further information on the Pacific Women in Power Program, please visit the following links:
