Technical training and gender empowerment: solar thermal experts gather in Windhoek

Technical and social issues were on the agenda at the SOLTRAIN+/IEA SHC Task 69 Joint Symposium held in Windhoek, Namibia, at the end of September. The first day focused on standards and certification training, while the second day centred on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The event was jointly organised by SOLTRAIN+ ­ a regional initiative for capacity building and the demonstration of renewable heating and cooling and energy efficiency in the SADC region ­ the Namibian Energy Institute, and experts from Task 69 on Solar Hot Water for 2030 within the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. The photo shows symposium participants during a technical tour of the solar thermal installation at Katutura Hospital in Windhoek. The pumped system, featuring a 120 m² collector area from Austrian manufacturer Greenonetec, supplies hot water to the hospital’s maternity ward.
Photo: SOLTRAIN+ / Tabby Mtshiya-Moyo

“I was deeply impressed by the gender workshop. Gender managers from several SOLTRAIN+ partner countries, including Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, shared their initiatives on gender and diversity,” said Monika Spörk-Dür, Scientific Expert for industrial systems at AEE INTEC. During the meeting, she wore two hats, serving both as an expert within Task 69 and as part of the coordination team for SOLTRAIN+ at AEE INTEC.

For instance, in Botswana, the local SOLTRAIN+ team organized a career guidance session at a college, exclusively led by female presenters, to inspire young girls to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The team also recommended broadening the focus to lower high school levels, helping students make informed decisions about their subject choices early on in their educational journey.

In Zimbabwe, Jenipher Chigerwe, SOLTRAIN+ Gender Manager, conceptualized a PhD program titled “Development of a Technopreneurship Framework to Enhance Solar Thermal Energy Uptake by Women in Rural Zimbabwe.” The term technopreneurship refers to the integration of technical and business development skills.

Career guidance session at a college organized by SOLTRAIN+ in Botswana Photo: Solar Industries Association Botswana

Change mindsets by overcoming gender stereotypes

“We had 40 participants in the gender mainstreaming workshop, with a good representation of women,” said Spörk-Dür. The group was a diverse mix of practitioners from solar companies, students from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST), experts from Task 69, participants from ministries, and representatives from the SOLTRAIN+ partner countries. Edith Makandi, a human rights lawyer specializing in gender and social inclusion in the energy sector, led the interactive workshop on the second day of the symposium.

Spörk-Dür described one of the interactive exercises: discussing equity and equality through the example of bicycles. In the first picture, different people ­ whether short, tall, or using wheelchairs ­ are all given the same bicycle, but only one can ride it. This represents equality. In the second photo, each person receives a bike tailored to their individual needs, whether it’s a different size or a three-wheeled version, and everyone is able to ride. Here, equity is at play.

Makandi also facilitated group work. In one example, participants discussed the hiring of a technical employee in the renewable energy sector. The group was tasked with considering the prejudices, stereotypes, and barriers a female applicant might face. The second part of the exercise focused on how human resources managers could break down these stereotypes and implement policies or communication strategies to promote greater diversity and inclusion in technical fields.

Spörk-Dür concluded, “The gender workshop has provided us with many ideas for practical approaches to achieve a better gender equality (and equity) in the renewable energy sector.” The speaker, Makandi, emphasized the importance of shifting mindsets and raising awareness about the barriers that still exist.

High proportion of women at SOLTRAIN+/IEA SHC Task 69 joint symposium in Windhoek, Namibia, at the end of September Photo: IEA SHC Task 69

The meeting in Windhoek was the final meeting of the multi-year Task 69. An initial report on “Solar hot water standards and certifications – pathways to 2030” and a technology brief on PV water heating are already available online for download. https://task69.iea-shc.org/publications

The SOLTRAIN initiative, established in 2009, is now entering its next phase as SOLTRAIN+, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) through 2026. The programme is implemented by AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE INTEC) in Austria, in collaboration with nine project partners across Southern Africa.

Websites of organisations mentioned in this news article:
IEA SHC Task 69: https://task69.iea-shc.org/
SOLTRAIN+: https://www.soltrain.org/
AEE INTEC: https://www.aee-intec.at/
Namibian Energy Institute: https://nei.nust.na/home
Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST): https://www.nust.na/
Solar Industries Association Botswana: https://solar.org.bw/