Dubai, UAE, 4 December 2023 − In a groundbreaking event during the COP-28 from the Montreal Protocol Pavilion entitled "You can't be what you can't see – What can INWIC do for Women in Cooling", several Montreal Protocol partners and stakeholders gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in the Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning, and Heat-pumps (RACHP) industry. The session explored critical aspects of gender inclusion in the RACHP sector, where women are significantly underrepresented and often unrecognised. The event aimed to spotlight ongoing efforts and strategies within the Montreal Protocol to advance the engagement and representation of women in the sector.
Catarina Marques, International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) Working Group Chairperson, initiated the discussion by presenting findings from a comprehensive Women in Cooling survey, providing a nuanced understanding of the backgrounds, motivations, and challenges faced by women in this dynamic industry. The survey highlighted concerns about limited career progression opportunities, gender equality, and equal remuneration. The main challenges identified were led by managing a healthy work-life balance, the lack of career advancement opportunities, and insufficient training, emphasizing the impact of stereotypes and the absence of female colleagues within organizations.
Environmental impact emerged as the primary motivator for pursuing a career in the sector, alongside contributing to society, the inherent interest in the sector, role diversity, and job security. Respondents emphasized the need for activities like training, workshops, mentoring, and recruitment to attract more women and young people to the sector. Promoting equal career opportunities and pay was stressed as crucial for fostering gender diversity and ensuring a thriving workforce.
Nesen Surmeli-Anac, representing Guidehouse Cool Up Programme, shed light on the programne's activities in the Middle East, emphasizing the underrepresentation of women in the energy sector, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The global average of 22% dropped significantly to 10-15% in MENA. Societal norms, lack of flexible working hours, and education gaps contribute to the challenges faced by women. Practical solutions were advocated to address these issues and promote inclusivity.
Yunrui Zhou, from UNIDO, spoke of the organization's gender mainstreaming activities, emphasizing the commitment to promoting gender equality in the industry. All funded projects now undergo gender assessment, ensuring gender considerations are integral to project implementation. He also highlighted three country examples in Chile, Mexico, and Nigeria.
Ellen Michel presented the GIZ project, "Trust Female Competence! Empowering Women in the Cooling Sector," addressing the alarming statistic of only 2 to 4% of female technicians in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, and Senegal. The project's multifaceted approach towards gender empowerment includes training and business creation, normalizing women's image in technical roles.
Sonja Wagner, representing UNEP OzonAction, shared insight into OzonAction’s global activities to advance gender equality. The publications and upcoming initiatives focus on gender aspects within the cooling sector to foster inclusivity. She emphasized a series of regional workshops for female technicians, organized so far in Anglophone and Francophone Africa and the Caribbean, as a good example of providing the female technicians with an opportunity to openly discuss the challenges they are facing, but also identify their needs and activities that would help with addressing those challenges.
Finally, Colleen Keyworth, President of the International Network of Women in Cooling (INWIC), in her video presentation described the importance of INWIC, a networking platform created by UNEP OzonAction, World Refrigeration Day Secretariat and eleven different RACHP partners, to advance the engagement of women, promote career opportunities, and increase their overall participation in the RACHP sector. She stressed the importance of mentorship and internship programmes, increasing the visibility of women professionals, and creating women’s groups as some of the services that INWIC aims to provide. Ina Colombo, President-Elect of INWIC, also provided further insight into the initiative, as well as its membership options.
The event concluded with a resounding call for collaborative action, highlighting that fostering gender diversity in the cooling sector is not just a necessity but a strategic imperative. The shared initiatives showcased a collective commitment to building a workforce that embraces both women and men, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation efforts.
For more information:
Sonja Wagner
UNEP OzonAction
Email: sonja.wagner[at]un.org
