TBT DESK:
Participants in a campaign on Saturday on the occasion of International Women's Day 2025, urged the government for expanding renewable energy and increasing women's inclusion in the energy sector.
They stressed that to ensure sustainable development, women must have greater decision-making opportunities in the energy sector, and fair access to energy at all levels must be ensured.
A number of non-government organisations including ISDE, CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network), and BWGED (Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development) organised the campaign in Chittagong.
They also called for women's empowerment in the power and energy sector, ensuring their energy rights, and recognizing their role as policymakers.
The primary objective of this campaign was to ensure 100% renewable energy across the country and establish energy security for women.
S M Nazer Hossain, central vice president and executive director ISDE Bangladesh, said "Women are the largest consumers of energy, as 46% of the total energy used in the country is for household purposes."
However, due to the continuous rise in electricity prices caused by imported fossil fuels, women are the ones suffering the most, he said.
Women activist & CSDF Secretary General Jesmin Sultana Paru said that women are deprived at all levels in the energy sector, from planning to implementation, and from generation to distribution.
As women own only 2-4% of the land nationwide, energy project developers exclude them and consider them merely as beneficiaries in the consultation process. Women are viewed as a "sensitive issue" rather than being recognized as active stakeholders and policymakers, she said.
CSDF Project Coordinator Shampa K Nahar highlighted the severe challenges faced by women due to fossil fuel-based power plants, saying, "Unlike men, women cannot easily migrate when affected by power plant projects."
Women Activist Jannatul Ferdus said that project developers always ignore the special needs of women, particularly reproductive health concerns. Fossil fuel-based power plants, especially coal-fired ones, emit excessive levels of mercury, lead, cadmium, sulfur, and chromium.
The campaign activists called on the government to take necessary measures to facilitate easy installation of solar home systems for women.
Eminent journalist & Ex President CUJ M Nasirul Hoque, BNP Women Front City Vice President Sayma Haque, Chattogram North district Secretary Laila Yasmin, central executive member of Bangladesh Frozen fruits & Vegetable Exporters Association Md Selim Jahangir, CAB Chawkbazar President Abdul Alim, Women Entrepreneur Farzana Muktadir, Youth activist Partho Sarker, Harisa Khanom Shuki took part in the event.