In order to motivate more women to be part of the energy sector and the emerging green hydrogen industry, and as a way to celebrate International Women's Day, several women who are part of the sector told their experience in an online meeting.

Green hydrogen, produced from renewable energies, is emerging as a new industry that will impact various sectors such as transport, agriculture and mining. It will help to eliminate fossil fuels and advance decarbonisation.

Chile has great potential to produce green hydrogen, due to its potential to generate electricity at very competitive prices in the north and south of the country. Thus, according to Chile's latest NDC, green hydrogen will be responsible for 20% of carbon neutrality by 2050.

The energy sector is an industry with a strong male presence, as according to data from the Ministry of Energy only 23% of the workforce are women, which shows the existing gender barriers and gaps.

The event, organised by the GIZ Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme, the Energy Partnership Chile Germany and the Chilean Ministry of Energy, was designed for young women who are starting their professional studies or are entering the labour market.

Watch video on YouTube

Programme

1. Welcome: Daina Neddemeyer, Energy Partnership Chile - Germany
2. Women's employability in the energy sector: Marcela Zulantay, Ministry of Energy (Chile)
3. Panel discussion:

• Ana Lía Rojas, Executive Director of ACERA (Chile)
• Catalina Machicao, Project Engineer, AustrianEnergy (Chile)
• Paola Vilchis, PhD in Science, specialist in Energy Storage, Universidad Autónoma (Mexico)
• Charlote Hussy, Advisor Synthetic Fuels and Power-to-X, Energy, Water, Transport GIZ (Germany)
• Virginia Echinope, Manager of the Electric Energy Area at the National Energy Directorate of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining. (Uruguay)
• Verónica Vukasovic, Technical Advisor GIZ and H2LAC.org Coordinator (Chile)