The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), in strategic collaboration with the Women in Energy Association of Chile and with support from Guatemala’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, launched in Guatemala City the first National Workshop for Building Women’s Energy Networks, an initiative that seeks to boost women’s leadership in the region’s energy sector through associativity and collective work. The National Workshops aim to establish a local network of women in energy that will, in turn, be part of the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Women in Energy (RedLACME), a regional platform for articulation and coordination among women facilitated by OLACDE as Technical Secretariat.
The event, which brought together specialists, authorities and representatives from various Guatemalan institutions across the public sector, industry and academia, addressed the challenges and opportunities involved in building a national network of women in energy, aimed at increasing women’s participation in the sector, promoting their advancement to leadership positions and driving public policies with a gender perspective.
Drawing on the experience of the Women in Energy Association of Chile, participants discussed the associative processes that have emerged in other countries in the region, the identification of common purposes, the establishment of statutes, governance and membership frameworks, as well as strategic planning and actions to ensure the sustainability of a national network.
The event opened with a video message from the Minister of Energy and Mines, Víctor Hugo Ventura Ruiz, followed by remarks from Gloria Alvarenga, OLACDE’s Director of Integration, Access and Energy Security; Pía Suárez, president of the Women in Energy Association of Chile; and María Consuelo Morales, head of the Gender Unit at Guatemala’s Ministry.
“When we work as a community, benefits don’t just add up—they multiply. Every connection made and every piece of knowledge shared has the potential to generate transformative impact,” said Alvarenga, who emphasized that energy is a human right that enables other fundamental rights.
For her part, Suárez noted that Guatemala was chosen to host the first workshop because of its progress in gender institutionality, and Morales described the event as “a historic opportunity to build a national network of women in energy.”
The program included three core modules—”Stories and Common Purpose,” “Governance and Sustainability” and “Regional Coordination”—designed to strengthen collaboration, build leadership and achieve the sustainability of national women’s energy networks. In the final module, OLACDE shared its solid track record on gender and energy as a foundation for consolidating RedLACME at the regional level, along with the guiding principles of this initiative.
This first workshop in Guatemala marks the start of a series of events to be held in several countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at exchanging experiences and formulating strategies and focal points for establishing a national network of women in energy.
With the Work Plan and the consolidation of RedLACME, OLACDE reaffirms its commitment to a more inclusive, participatory and sustainable energy future for the region.
