ISLAMABAD: In a significant stride towards gender equality within Pakistan’s energy sector, USAID celebrated the successful conclusion of the Power System and Distribution Network Planning (PSDNP) Training Program tailored for women engineers.
This program, a collaborative effort between USAID and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), aimed to empower engineers from Pakistan’s power distribution and transmission companies.
Mission Director Kate Somvongsiri, speaking at the event, emphasized the importance of providing specialized training to women engineers. She highlighted that such initiatives not only create new career opportunities for talented individuals but also foster enhanced team engagement, motivation, and decision-making within companies.
The program’s achievements were lauded by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of IESCO and MEPCO, expressing satisfaction with the practical expertise gained by Pakistani female engineers in utilizing power system planning software applications like ArcGIS and Synergi, provided by USAID. Beyond individual empowerment, the trained cohort is now better equipped to address Pakistan’s future power distribution network demands, thereby benefiting the entire energy sector.
USAID’s commitment to promoting gender inclusivity within the energy industry was underscored, aiming to tackle the under-representation of women across various roles such as power distribution planning, engineering, management, and leadership. The training of 31 female engineers aims to dismantle gender barriers in the engineering sector, fostering a more diverse and talented workforce that positively impacts innovation and performance within companies.
