Celebrating Big Wins Amid a Difficult Year

21 January 2021

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2020 was a year of disruption, loss, adaptation and change. It was a year in which human resilience and innovation shone stronger than ever, and in which the wind sector took strides forward in technology and demonstrated the robustness of its global supply chain. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the existing vulnerabilities of the fight for gender equality.

Background

The Global Wind Energy Council and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition launched the Women in Wind Program in 2019, with the aim to advance the careers of young women in the wind industry by offering access to mentorship, knowledge-sharing, networking and skill development. At the beginning of 2020, we launched the second cycle of the program, with high hopes of building upon the success of the first cohort. With 15 mentees from over 13 countries and 5 continents, this truly global program aimed to advance diversity and inclusion in a sector with a staggering gender gap.

What we didn’t expect was that, despite increased family responsibilities, shifting working dynamics, unexpected illness and personal loss brought about by the pandemic, the Participants of the 2020 program would lean in to last year’s challenges and not only persevere but grow during this difficult period.

Achievements from Mentees and Mentors

Over the last 10 months of Women in Wind, our Participants made a number of achievements, including:

A comprehensive study on gender equality in the workplace, authored by a Mentor and Participant tandem in Argentina

A series of youth-oriented webinars to promote renewable energy in an emerging economy in South East Asia

A flexible working policy to allow employees to achieve work life balance during the pandemic in South East Asia

Mentees and mentors inspiring their colleagues to enter into mentorships around the world

Negotiations for title changes and back pay where deserved in Africa

Multiple career promotions, lasting connections, and more.

Other highlights of Women in Wind in 2020

As companies moved their operations online, Women in Wind continued to connect virtually with our Participants, Mentors, Partners and other supporters over the last year. Together we produced a number of positive outcomes:

Partnered with IRENA on the “Wind Energy: A Gender Perspective” report published in January 2020, which is the first-ever study to track the representation of women across the global wind energy value chain.
Published the “Best Practices in Talent Recruitment” guide in August 2020, which serves as a resource to advance gender equality in the wind industry and attract top talent and skills, with the end-goal of building a dynamic and inclusive workforce that can drive the global energy transition.
Supported the global rollout of the “Let the Wind Blow” children’s book with translations into Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Mongolian, Swahili, Turkish and Vietnamese, as well as accompanying bedtime audio recordings.
Held the first Global Ambassadors Forum with speakers from IRENA.
Held the first Partners Forum with speakers from Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index.
Hosted five Knowledge-Transfer Webinars on industry and personal development topics, which are summarised on the Women in Wind blog.
Led an active online storytelling campaign on social media and the Women in Wind blog throughout the year – including interviews with several of our mentees and mentors and an Instagram Takeover.

"2020 has been tough for me as it has been for many out there. Having the encouragement from the GWEC and GWNET teams, my mentor, and fellow participants has served as an incredible support system during this tough period. During this isolating period, the monthly webinars with my fellow participants and my coaching sessions with my mentor kept me grounded and connected to our joint mission of bringing a more equal representation of women in the clean energy industry. For me personally, the program has served as a foundation to continue contributing for this cause, I am deeply grateful to have met my fellow participants last year and wish everyone a successful professional and fulfilling personal journey ahead."

“Without a doubt 2020 was difficult for everyone both personally and professionally and it was unclear where we would be at the end of it. The Women in Wind program made going through the workplace changes and adjustments easier. Within the cohort and through the mentor-mentee relationships we rallied around each other during tough times and cheered each other on when some reached tipping points that eventually resulted in some really inspiring career breakthroughs. We connected, learned, shared, and helped each other to the very end. I'm grateful for this community and confident that it is one that I can rely on wherever my career leads me.”

"I reach the end of the Women in Wind program with a feeling of renewal and a lot of learning. The mentorship, in addition to being important for bringing new perspectives related to the wind sector, was also remarkable for approaching pressing issues associated with the role that we women today play in the sector and how much we still need to move forward. This simple detail made us raise awareness and, consequently, makes us realize the importance of taking the issue of gender and diversity to all discussion fields, including in our workplaces. For me, one of the best experiences that the Women in Wind program offers to the participants is the possibility to interact with so many different cultures and realities. I am very grateful to my mentor for all knowledge and lessons she shared with me throughout this year and it was great to meet each of the great women who were selected to participate in this initiative. Diversity matters and I am very proud to be part of this story!"

Looking ahead in 2021

We are extremely honoured to know such a dynamic group of women professionals in wind energy, who are determined to advance gender equality and the energy transition. In particular, we are grateful to the time and efforts dedicated to the program from our Mentors in 2020, who see great merit in supporting the next generation of wind energy leaders.

This week, we launched applications for the third cycle of Women in Wind, which will be open for public application until 14 February 2021. The 2021 program aims to foster a global network of women professionals working across various roles in the wind sector, provide a forum for one-on-one mentorship and knowledge-transfer to support women’s pathways to leadership positions. We encourage you to read more about the program and apply if you meet the criteria.

Congratulations to our 2020 cohort for completing the program, and we look forward to seeing you on clean energy stages around the world one day.

Read more reflections from our 2020 Participants on the @WeAreWomenInWind Instagram channel. For any questions about the program, please contact [email protected].

Don't miss your chance to become a #WomeninWind!

Applications for the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program 2021 are now open until the 14 February 2021. Apply now for your chance to be part of the third edition of the program to advance your career and gender diversity in the sector.

Apply Now!

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