US grants P37.9M to boost PHL women’s participation in green energy
THE UNITED States has granted P37.9 million to two groups in the Philippines to boost women’s participation in energy resilience, innovation, and security, according to a statement from its embassy released on Wednesday.
“Women empowerment and climate change are two pressing issues of our time. They are inextricably intertwined,” United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks said in the statement.
Of the total fund, P29 million was handed to non-government organization Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. to expand a program that trains elderly women from indigenous communities to build and maintain solar-powered pump systems to electrify their neighborhoods.
The Women Engineers Network of the Philippine Technological Council, Inc. (PTC) received P8.9 million for a project that will increase the enrollment of girls in renewable energy engineering programs and renewable energy campaigns in eight cities.
PTC is the umbrella organization of the 13 professional engineering organizations in the country.
“Climate change exacerbates gender inequalities and developmental gaps. Women have a unique perspective on these issues as they often bear the brunt of climate shocks and stresses,” Ms. Eubanks said. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
