Karpowership partners World Bank to close gender gap in Africa's energy sector

Power producing company, Karpowership, has announced a partnership with the World Bank's Women in Energy Network Africa initiative (WEN-Africa) to increase female employment in Africa's energy sector.

This new partnership aims to advance gender equality within Africa's energy sector, bolstering employment opportunities for women across at least 10 countries and fostering a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Aligned with the World Bank's 2024-2030 Gender Strategy, this initiative will focus on four key pillars: enhancing female employment, promoting professional development and retention, advocating policy reforms, and strengthening science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education for girls.

Commitment

With over 25 years of experience in the floating power plant industry, Karpowership is a leading provider of fast, flexible, cleaner and reliable energy solutions worldwide.

With a global installed capacity exceeding 7,000 MW and operating across 19 countries, including 10 in Africa, Karpowership delivers energy security through its signature Powerships and onshore plants, alongside a fleet of floating LNG infrastructure.

Under the partnership, Karpowership has committed to several targets across the four pillars, ranging from providing career counselling sessions for female staff, internships, vocational training and scholarship programmes for female students, and gender-inclusive staff policies.

Partnership impact

Karpowership's Chief Commercial Officer, Zeynep Harezi Yılmaz, said not only was the partnership aimed at strengthening the company’s social impact, but it underscored its commitment to gender equality and creating opportunities for all.

"We are excited to partner the World Bank to expand opportunities for women and to strengthen our social impact.”

“This collaboration underscores our commitment to gender equity, and we must address gender-specific barriers which hinder women's involvement in business, by increasing the number of women studying and creating pathways for women to thrive professionally," Mr Yilmaz stressed.

The Task Team Leader of WEN-Africa and Senior Energy Operations Officer at the World Bank, Fowzia Hassan, said it found the perfect ally in Karpowership to accelerate gender equality and enhance women’s participation in Africa’s energy now and into the future.

"We are pleased to officially partner Karpowership and join together on our mission to accelerate gender equality and promote inclusive economic growth by enhancing women's participation in Africa's energy future," Ms Hassan said.

World Bank WEN-Africa

WEN-Africa is an initiative launched under the World Bank's 2024-2030 Gender Strategy, focused on increasing female representation in Africa's energy sector. It aims to establish a robust women's network, facilitate policy discussions, and empower women in technical and leadership roles.