A huge year for Women in Wind shows the wind sector will deliver a just energy transition
By Jeaneatte Gitobu, Director, Women in Wind Global Leadership Program
This year’s Women in Wind Global Leadership Program is going to be the largest program yet, with more mentees than ever before. GWEC and GWNET are absolutely delighted by the diverse applications we have received this year, with more than a hundred applications from across the world highlighting the interest from women in starting, building and developing their careers in the wind industry.
Application stats
- 130 applications
- India, Brazil and Vietnam the top three countries for applications
- It is a truly global program, with applicants also coming from Argentina, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa and more
- Applicant backgrounds were also varied with a mix of education and expertise
- 3% have a PhD, and more than 50% have a Master’s Degree.
- 14% of applicants have an engineering background
- 12% have skills in managing stakeholders
How are applicants chosen?
Since the application window closed at the end of February, GWEC and GWNET have been carefully reviewing the applications. Applications for Women in Wind are looked at holistically to look for opportunities to develop skills and build careers. The panel does look for the following key areas as guidelines during the process:
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field,
- At least 4 years of professional experience in the wind energy industry,
- A track record of leadership and achievement in a professional career or otherwise
- Professional working proficiency in English (written and spoken).
One thing we can say ahead of revealing this year’s cohort is that the panel has been enormously excited by the applications, with a high calibre across the board. The passionate statements from applicants and the enthusiasm for wind energy has been exciting to see. Allied with the geographic spread of applicants – that is continuing to increase every year – and it is exhilarating to see the direction the industry is travelling in. A diverse industry delivering a just transition is what we are working for, and what we are seeing developing around us.
A big thank you from the GWEC team to everyone who helped and participated in the application process for the 2023 edition of the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program. We will announce this year’s participants on 24th March.
Follow our journey here on gwec.net and on social media with #WomenInWind.
Find out more about Women in Wind
Read all about the Global Leadership Program, what work each cohort has done and research about diversity in the wind industry.
