Women in Energy CIGRE International - Celebrating Four Years of Diversity and Impact

By Solange David - Chair of CIGRE Women in Energy
Biljana Stojkovska - Vice Chair of CIGRE Women in Energy and Chair of Women in Energy United Kingdom
Aimee Intac-Leung - Chair of Women in Energy Canada

Introduction

Women in Energy CIGRE International was established to strengthen the visibility, participation, and leadership of women within the global power systems community. Since its launch, the initiative has grown into a vibrant international network that connects professionals, encourages collaboration, and fosters equal opportunities across regions and technical disciplines. Remember that in 2014, when it was launched, the forum was called Women in Engineering, and was later changed to Women in Energy, due to the diverse profiles and skills that connect and interact to meet the various needs of the electricity sector, with its great technological evolution and market and business models.

This article reflects on the period from August 2022 to 2026, capturing key milestones, initiatives, that demonstrate how Women in Energy has become an integral part of CIGRE’s evolution and a catalyst for positive cultural change within the energy sector.

The Vision and Mission

Women in Energy CIGRE International strives to go beyond the creation of National Committees, ensuring meaningful representation in CIGRE’s structures, contributing to executive decisions, and enhancing diversity across the organization through all possible avenues.

Its vision is to foster an inclusive professional environment where talent thrives regardless of gender. Its mission is to:

• Increase the participation of women in technical and leadership roles
• Support professional development, visibility, and influence
• Promote knowledge sharing and collaboration across generations and regions

These objectives strengthen CIGRE’s broader mission by advancing power system expertise, while embedding diversity, innovation, and inclusive leadership at the heart of the organization.

Global Milestones and Achievements (2022–2026)

Between 2022 and 2026, Women in Energy CIGRE International achieved several significant milestones:

• Expansion of Women in Energy groups across multiple National Committees
• Increased representation of women in CIGRE events, panels, and working groups
• Global webinars, workshops, and mentoring initiatives focused on technical excellence and leadership
• Stronger integration of WiE perspectives into CIGRE conferences, sessions, and publications

These achievements demonstrate how coordinated global action can drive meaningful and sustainable progress.

National Committees Spotlight

Since the launch of the Women in Energy initiative, a powerful global movement has taken shape. More than 20 new Women’s forums from CIGRE National Committees have been established, inspired by the pioneering efforts of early leaders such as the UK National Committee, which has been successfully championing Women in Energy since 2016. Their experience, commitment, and proven approach have provided both a blueprint and motivation for many countries embarking on this journey.

Today, an ever-growing number of National Committees continue to seek guidance, support, and shared learning as they establish and strengthen their Women in Energy initiatives. What has emerged is a vibrant and diverse network—rooted in local realities, cultures, and needs, yet united by a common vision and shared global purpose.

Across countries and regions, inspiring stories reflect the tangible impact of these efforts, including:

• Mentoring programs that empower young engineers and students to envision confident futures in the energy sector
• Technical workshops led by women experts, showcasing excellence, innovation, and leadership
• Outreach initiatives that connect academia and industry, opening pathways for the next generation
• Visibility campaigns that celebrate women’s technical contributions and amplify their voices
• Permanent women's forum at events promoted by CIGRE in various regions, or in partnerships maintained with other institutions
• Definition of a roadmap of activities for the creation of a women's forum
• Campaigns for women to write about various aspects of electricity, including regulation and system operation

Women's Forums of CIGRE National Committees develop various activities and organize their respective events in collaboration with other CIGRE study committees. In addition to sharing knowledge and adding value to the work of professionals, working groups are formed and technical studies and brochures are produced for dissemination and collaboration with the electricity sectors of their respective countries.

The WiE National Committee UK leads a number of important initiatives aimed at supporting and developing professionals across the energy sector. In addition to technical presentations, each event includes a dedicated soft skills session, recognising the critical role these skills play in developing the future workforce of the energy industry.

One of the most prominent events focused on career development, personal branding, and resilience. More recently, we hosted our first “Men as Allies” event, where we explored how men can actively support and promote our initiatives and contribute to a more inclusive energy sector.

WiE UK is also closely collaborating on a mentoring scheme that is currently led by the UK NGN Committee, further strengthening professional development opportunities within the network.

This year WiE UK, is delivering a series of technical events in collaboration e.g. with the NC Switzerland committee, event featuring speakers from the United States. We are also hosting events in London in partnership with leading London universities, as well as a joint collaborative event with SSE Transmission in Glasgow.

Together, these actions demonstrate how local passion and commitment can create a ripple effect of global impact—strengthening collaboration, advancing inclusion, and shaping a more diverse and resilient energy community for the future.

Women’s Leadership and Role Models

Women in Energy CIGRE International places strong and continuous emphasis on visibility, leadership, and role modelling. Women leaders in the energy sector are consistently featured across our activities—whether as speakers at Women in Energy meetings, keynote speakers at CIGRE conferences, or contributors to technical and strategic discussions. Through regular webinars, technical conferences, and high-profile events, Women in Energy actively showcases role models who inspire and lead by example.

One of the most notable successes was the Women in Energy National Committees poster session during the CIGRE Paris Session 2024. This landmark event provided a unique platform where National Committees presented their work, achievements, and local initiatives to the global CIGRE community. The session not only highlighted the depth and breadth of Women in Energy activities worldwide, but also reinforced the strong connection between national efforts and CIGRE’s international mission.

The featured profiles of women leaders demonstrate:

• Diverse career paths across utilities, manufacturers, academia, and consulting
• Leadership roles within CIGRE and the wider energy sector
• Powerful stories of resilience, professional growth, and empowerment

The Paris Session also hosted the World Café Networking event, in which participants from various National Committees around the world presented their journeys in posters that highlighted their WiE initiatives, showcasing the global impact of WiE and fostering connections among members across countries.

At the International Symposium held in Montreal, Canada, in September 2025, two CIGRE Women in Energy events took place: a breakfast and a panel discussion during the day. The breakfast's theme was "Building Networks for a Resilient Energy Future," and the panel discussion focused on "Key Technical Components for Strategic Planning." Women CEOs and experts from various companies in the sector presented several aspects of their companies' activities, considering strategies and a vision for the future in the context of the energy transition.

By sharing their experiences and achievements, these women leaders inspire the next generation of engineers and professionals, clearly demonstrating that technical excellence and leadership go hand in hand—and that diversity strengthens the future of the energy industry.

Collaboration with CIGRE’s Core Activities

Women in Energy CIGRE International works closely with the CIGRE Paris Office, ensuring strong alignment with CIGRE’s strategic priorities and core activities. A key milestone in this collaboration has been the successful engagement of all 16 CIGRE Study Committees, each of which now includes a Women in Energy representative. This represents an important step toward embedding diversity and inclusion across CIGRE’s technical structure.

While the level of engagement naturally varies between Study Committees, this achievement marks a meaningful beginning in building more diverse and balanced technical teams. We are confident that this growing diversity will positively contribute to the quality, relevance, and innovation of Study Committee work by bringing broader perspectives into technical discussions and decision-making processes.

WiE Survey - Results on championing diversity

WIE promoted a survey in 2024, in which four questions were presented:

1. What initiatives or mentorship programs could be implemented to foster career advancement for Women in Energy?
2. How can the energy sector contribute to promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education among women?
3. Outline the main actions of your National Committee best practices and improvements for gender equality among CIGRE members.
4. Collaboration with other national/international organizations, focused on women empowerment in your country.

As a result of the research, six key points were observed:

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Despite significant progress, Women in Energy committees have encountered a number of challenges, including limited resources, differing levels of local engagement, and cultural considerations in some regions. Additionally, the prioritization of establishing national Women in Energy committees has varied across National Committees, and the level of support provided needs to be expanded and more consistent, with the effective goal of maintaining a forum for women, which will certainly contribute even more to the activities of the NCs. Continued encouragement and engagement from National Committees would further strengthen these efforts, particularly by creating additional opportunities for Women in Energy to contribute not only in facilitation roles, but also in decision-making processes.

Key lessons learned include:

• The importance of strong leadership and sustained institutional support
• The value of sharing best practices and experiences among National Committees
• The need for long-term commitment to fostering inclusive cultural and organizational change
• Including a women's forum within the structure of the National Committees, with defined roles, including the organization of and participation in events organized by the respective National Committee
• Provide for the participation of a representative from the Women's Forum in each of the technical committees of the National Committee, in the same way that CIGRE International has done

These lessons continue to guide and strengthen future Women in Energy initiatives.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Women in Energy – CIGRE International

Beyond 2026, Women in Energy CIGRE International will expand its global reach, strengthen leadership pipelines, and deepen collaboration with industry and academia. The focus will include updating the mission, vision, and values to reflect a rapidly changing energy sector, enhancing contributions to CIGRE’s core activities, and fostering diverse perspectives and innovative ideas. Efforts will also promote active participation across all member countries.

Key initiatives will include:

• Advanced mentoring and sponsorship programs
• Greater engagement of young professionals and students
• Improved measurement of impact and outcomes

The vision remains clear: a diverse, inclusive, and innovative energy sector shaped by shared expertise, collaboration, and diversity of thought.

Conclusion

From 2022 to 2026, Women in Energy CIGRE International has made meaningful progress in promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion across the global power systems community. Through collective action, inspiring leadership, and close alignment with CIGRE’s mission, the initiative has demonstrated the value of inclusion for technical excellence and innovation. Continued engagement and support from all stakeholders will be essential to sustaining this momentum and shaping a more inclusive future for the energy industry. We are very much looking forward to the upcoming WiE session in Paris and to welcoming a new leadership team for WiE within CIGRE this year. In the months leading up to August, we will continue promoting our activities and supporting National Committees in establishing and strengthening their local WiE networks. We are particularly pleased that the Slovenia National Committee has already reached out for our support, and we look forward to welcoming them into our global organisation.