A webinar by PFAN and EmPower connects women entrepreneurs with financial institutions and investors

Around the world, women are disproportionally affected by polluting energy sources and climate change, as well as related changed agricultural production because of social roles, discriminations, and poverty. Over the years, PFAN has worked to help women overcome those barriers by identifying and supporting women-led businesses through the call for proposals process and through work with partners involved in “gender lens investing”.

In partnership with the EmPower project, a joint initiative by UN Women and the UN Environment Programme, PFAN held a virtual event on 1 April 2021 to promote awareness of gender integration in climate resilience and clean energy, and to link women entrepreneurs in the EmPower and PFAN networks with financial institutions and investors, with the aim to scale up investments for women in the renewable energy sector.

The event started with inspiring remarks by Fiza Farhan, Global Development Advisor, Member of UN High-Level Panel Women Economic Empowerment. Fiza shared her journey in starting a business, the challenges she encountered as a young female professional in the male-dominated industry such as energy, and how she turned those challenges into unique opportunities that have led to her successes in the climate and clean energy sector. Fiza ended her remarks on a high note by emphasizing the fact that being alone, or one of a few women in the energy field is a strength rather than a weakness. Young female entrepreneurs should use this insight to accelerate momentum and start creating changes in the energy sector that benefit women and society. “It’s time to convert our weaknesses into strengths and to bring more and more women as leaders into the clean energy space”, Fiza stated.

During the webinar, the audience also had an opportunity to hear from investors who spoke about their experience working with women entrepreneurs, and presented their portfolios, expectations, size range, geography and technology, maturity level, risk appetite.

You can find the full recording of the webinar here.