Chandigarh
6 April 2017
DIVYA AZAD
Confederation of Indian Industry, in collaboration with Nanhi Chaan Foundation, organised a seminar on the ‘Role of Women in Renewable Energy’ at MCM College, Sector 36, Chandigarh, today. Experts called for spreading awareness among women to adopt renewable energy sources in day to day life.
Vivek Atray, Special Secretary, Government of Haryana, said, “We need to make women aware of their rights and the role they can play in the renewable energy sector. Government, educational institutions and students should create awareness on what can be done. Innovation and collaboration are two ways in which we can move forward in this area. Solar energy is the way forward for humanity and we need to focus on durable outcomes. Renewable energy development can in particular address women’s needs, especially for cooking, availability of water, food processing, transport, home lighting in rural areas as well as transport fuel. Students have a larger role to play in the society and should get themselves involved with the community while they are studying by creating awareness in the rural areas.”
Vikram Hans, Managing Director, Multi Overseas India Pvt Ltd (Delta Power) & Past Co-Chairman of CII NR Committee on Power Reforms & Renewable Energy, said, “For the first time in 2016, the cost of installing per megawatt of solar and wind became cheaper than installing conventional sources of energy power plant. It is a big shift in terms of the investment scenario in the sector. As energy consumers and beneficiaries, women have contributed to design of household’s energy technologies and projects. Improved stoves programmes, solar cooker projects have been more effective and produced more benefit when they have obtained women input to produce the same and have targeted marketing and credit to women and men as appropriate. There are things men cannot do and there are things women will not do. There is nothing like unequal genders.”
Harpal Singh, Past Chairman, CII Northern Region & Chairman Nanhi Chhaan Foundation & Mentor & Chairman Emeritus, Fortis Healthcare, said, “Women understand energy the most. Incorporating gender perspectives into energy projects is critical to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of not only energy programmes and policies, but also all development activities that involve use of energy.”
Prof (Dr) Rudra Rameshwar, L M Thapar School of Management, Thapar University, Patiala, said, “Renewable energy development can in particular address women’s needs in a large number of areas especially biomass cooking crisis which results in fuel scarcity, and affects the health and safety of women; human energy crisis, energy for micro-entrepreneurs and energy for the modern sector. Women may be effective renewable energy entrepreneurs, due to their experience as users of energy in households and their own enterprises; in some countries, including India, women are already marketing solar home systems successfully.”
