MiDA creating space for women in power sector

The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) has recruited the first 50 female Interns for its flagship initiative; The Ghana Power Internship and Mentoring Programme.

For a period of two months, the 50 female students from various selected universities, technical and vocational institutions will be engaged in internships as part of MiDA’s Compact Two programme.

For the period, mentorship and leadership skills will be offered to the women undertaking Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degree and diploma courses across the selected universities and institutions.

The beneficiary institutions and universities include; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Accra Technical University, Koforidua Technical University, Akwatia Technical Institute and the Kumasi Technical University.

The selected implementing entities for the programme are the Electricity Company of Ghana, (ECG) Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Energy Commission (EC)

The ECG has provided 42 vacancies for the programme, while the GSA and the EC have provided six and two vacancies respectively.

This, is in line with exposing and training them with the needed practical skills relevant for the job market in the energy sector.

Dr. Cherub Antwi-Nsiah, Director of Gender and Social Inclusion at MiDA, speaking at the launch of the programme in Accra on Wednesday, June 20, said the initiative is expected to place over 300 females interns in public-private Institutions by September 2021.

Dr Antwi Nsiah highlighted the need to bridge the ever widening gender gap on the job market, especially in the energy sector.

She indicated that despite progress in increasing women’s employment and participation in decision making in the power sector, progress has rather been slow.

‘’In Ghana the two major distribution companies the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company NEDCo) boards each has only one woman member.

While women account for 15 percent of the employees at ECG (most in non-technical professions), no sex disaggregated data were available for NEDCo,’’ she stressed.

She said the Ghana Energy Policy provides directions to support the capacity development of women in the energy sector and ensures the participation of women in the formulation and implementation of energy interventions.

Otiko Afisah Djaba, Minster for Gender, Children and Social Protection on her part said the linkages between gender and the energy sector has been lost and therefore conversations have not highlighted the plight of women in the energy discourses.

‘’We ought to support institutionalizing gender responsiveness in the energy organisations through promoting the development of work place gender policies to ensure more women feel comfortable to work in the sector.’’

She encouraged the females to take advantage of the opportunity MiDA is offering, to make the best outcome of it to become change agents and game changers.

Mr Martin Eson-Bejamin, CEO of MiDA, advised the ladies to take advantage and apply themselves to all the benefits the programme has to offer.

He said MiDA will continue to explore partnerships and pathways to strengthen its network for employment opportunities.