Alexandra Hernandez

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW Marking international women’s week 2024, the United States Energy Association (USEA) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is hosting an immersive workshop for women in energy titled “Advance Women’s Leadership in Energy to Accelerate Progress”. The workshop participants include women from across the breadth of the energy and power sector including national power utilities, energy regulatory bodies, DISCOMs as well as related ministries of participating countries. Through the 5-day workshop global energy and gender experts will focus on the professional advancement of women participants from countries including Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Kenya, and Ghana. The workshop includes practical site visits, technical sessions, fireside chats, panels and communication and inclusion tools aimed at expanding women’s sectoral exposure and career prospects by bridging skill gaps. We believes that building capacity helps dismantle systemic barriers and catalyse an enabling environment for women and local communities to actively contribute to climate action while building tangible economic opportunities for women in climate-friendly industries following the principles of the USAID Climate Strategy 2022-2023. The program is also thematically aligned with the International Women’s Day 2024 theme – Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress. The technical and leadership skill development workshop invests in women to accelerate progress: Improving participants’ industry and technical awareness on the 3 Ds of Modern Energy Evolution – Digitalization, Decarbonization and Decentralization with industry experts. Improving the leadership and career-advancement skills of participants, offering them opportunities to network, field visits, personal branding and communications, and understanding elevator pitch to secure access to finance. Offering volunteering speakers the opportunity to engage with global participants on gender equity and social inclusion issues and mentor participants to draft a Global Women in Energy charter.  SCHEDULE:  9:00 AM EST                Welcome Remarks                                      Speakers:                                      Ipshita Nandi Banerjee, Communications and Gender Lead, USEA                                      Johanna Koolemans-Beynen, Program Manager, USEA 9:10 AM EST                Context Setting on USAID Gender Programming                                      USAID Administrator Samantha Power (video) 9:15 AM EST                Special Remarks: Advancing Women’s Leadership in Energy                                      Mark W. Menezes, President & Chief Executive Officer, USEA 9:25 AM EST                Fireside Chat: Gender -Transformative Pathways to Energy Transition                                      Speakers:                                      Natalia Correa, Head of Sustainable and Circular Ecosystem, Enel Chile                                      Diana Maria Perez Orozco, Senior Wholesale Energy Market Assurance Specialist, XM                                      Pallavi Madakasira, Vice President – Strategic Marketing and Corporate Development, Phase Change Solution Inc. (virtual attendance)                                      Moderator:                                                      Jessica Rosen, Director, Office of Sustainable Ecosystems and Economic Development 10:25 AM EST              Break 10:40 AM EST              Leadership Dialogue: The Future of Women in Energy in Latin America                                      Speakers:                                      Dr. Natalia Gutierrez Jaramillo, President ALCOGEN                                        Alexandra Hernández, Executive President SER                                      Mónica Gasca, President, Hidrogeno Colombia                                      Moderator:                                      Maria Nohemi Arboleda, XM Colombia 11.10 AM EST.             Participants Q&A 11:25 AM EST              Vote of Thanks