Clean energy transition must address women’s realities: MJF

Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) has called for a gender-responsive energy transition in Bangladesh, stressing that clean and renewable energy policies must address women's health, workload and inclusion.

"Renewable energy must address everyday realities, particularly household cooking, where women face long hours and serious health risks. So, energy will be clean, it will be green, and it will be for the people's welfare – and it must remain a priority regardless of who forms the next government," said Shaheen Anam, executive director of MJF, at a national conference held at the Military Museum in Dhaka today (1 February).

This year's conference, themed "Voices for a Gender-Responsive Energy Future," focused on linking grassroots realities with policy and investment decisions, alongside discussions on technology and finance.

The organisation urged policymakers to align grassroots realities with energy planning amid growing climate vulnerability.

The first session, titled "Energy Policy and Governance in the Frame of Women's Empowerment," chaired by Banasree Mitra Neogi, director of Rights and Governance Programmes at MJF, raised the question, "Just transition for whom?"

She said a transition cannot be just if any community is excluded.

M Zakir Hossain Khan, executive director of Change Initiative, said Bangladesh must clearly define "negotiable" and "non-negotiable" energy needs, describing safe and clean indoor cooking energy as non-negotiable for women's health.

"We need Bangladesh-driven renewable guidelines, decentralised funding, community grids and regular public reporting, including quarterly publication of a Gender JET Dashboard," he added.

Tanzina Dilshad, programme manager for environment and energy at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh, said women remain underrepresented in implementation roles and stressed the need for women-friendly policies that recognise career breaks and remove structural discrimination.

Hasan Mehedi, chief executive of Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), called for decentralised and democratised energy governance, affordable financing and stronger incentives for hiring women, proposing recruitment targets above 10%.

Another session, titled "Power–Equality–Business," chaired by Dilruba Haider of UN Women, highlighted renewable energy as an urgent response to the climate crisis and noted that women's empowerment also requires men's active engagement.

Participants including Fredrika Noren of the Swedish Embassy, Navid Hasan of For the Light, and Mollah Amzad Hossen, editor of Energy and Power, emphasised skills development, access to finance, targeted green funding and technical training for women.

In the final political session, discussants urged parties to move from dialogue to commitment.

Fahima Nasrin Munni of the BNP said women remain largely invisible in the energy sector and pledged her party would address the issue if elected, while representatives from the NCP and Jatiya Party echoed commitments to renewable energy and gender responsiveness.