Gobierno de Reconciliación y Unidad Nacional
Unida Nicaragua Triunfa
DELEGATION OF NICARAGUA TO THE OAS AT THE DIALOGUE
PROMOTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ON ACCESS TO ENERGY AND THE GENDER GAP IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY
OCTOBER 23, 2019
In preparation for the Fourth Ministerial meeting of the Climate and Energy Allaince of the Americas (ECPA) to be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on the 27th and 28th of February 2020, the OAS has called for this dialogue touching on two aspects of the issues of gender and energy, namely access to energy and the gender ga in the energy industry
The delegation of the Government of Nicaragua appreciates and takes note of the valuable presentations made by the delegations and presents its contribution in addressing the issue regarding: “The access to energy and the gender gap in the energy industry.”
The access to energy, especially in developing countries, remains an all to real challenge due to the great resources that it requires, however, in Nicaragua we have achieved significant progress regarding electricity coverage, going from 54% in 2006 to 96.8% in September 2019, with the goal of reaching 99% in 2021, being women the beneficiaries and protagonists of this energetic revolution.
The social gaps and lags that Latin American and Caribbean countries suffer today have a negative impact on productivity, taxation, environmental sustainability and the greater or lesser penetration of the knowledge-based society. In other words, as stated by ECLAC in a 2018 study, inequality is inefficient, it is an obstacle to achieve growth, development and sustainability.
We agree with this organization that as a region we need to firmly work for a greater environmental impulse as a strategic axis for industrial and technological policies, the creation of public goods and services, the transition to less segregated territories and cities, the progress towards the digital economy and the transformation of the energy matrix, in which Nicaragua has obtained important achievements.
As a country, we are barely responsible for 0.03% of global greenhouse gas emissions, nevertheless, we have gone from 26% to 62% of renewable energy. This has been possible thanks to the political commitment of Comandante Daniel Ortega, President of the Republic, and Rosario Murillo, Vice President of the Republic, who within 10 years have made strong public investments that have had the support of countries that are friends of Nicaragua, and international financial organizations such as the World Bank, the
IDB, the Central American Integration Bank, IMF, FAO, ECLAC, among others.
It is evident that as a region we face the challenge of inequality with respect to access to energy, which impacts the most vulnerable groups in our countries, particularly women who face economic and therefore energy segregation.
The full incorporation of women into energy access will undoubtedly bring greater economic and social benefits for societies in the region, in order to reduce poverty, particularly extreme poverty, and to promote greater social inclusion of all the productive sectors of our countries, from the use of energy as a cornerstone of economic empowerment. In our country, the achievements with regards to the access to energy for all Nicaraguans and the enormous benefits that it has brought to everyone, especially for women in the development of their daily tasks, in health and education, are evident.
The use of renewable energies as a source of energy generation requires political commitment, responsible management of resources and sufficient budget in order to help ensure efficient use and to face problems such as the prevention and mitigation of the effects of climate change, and therefore the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
In Nicaragua, we have a Ministry of Mines and Energy, which has the function of regulating, proposing and evaluating the policies of the country's energy sector, among others,
and granting, on behalf of the State, the sustainable development of electrical activities and those related to the promotion and development of renewable resources.
As a nation, we are committed to the transformation of the electric power generation matrix, from petroleum to renewable energies, with the aim of strengthening the security of the energy supply, reducing dependence on oil and decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases, which provides incentives for the economy, the promotion of investments and the creation of new sources of employment in which women are empowered based on their economic independence.
The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity of Nicaragua promotes an equal development model and increasingly expands the right and access of the Nicaraguan people to health, education, drinking water, sanitation, road infrastructure, communications and energy, which translates into a better quality of life for everyone.
Madam President, the actions of our public policies must be aimed at reducing and eliminating social gaps based on a gender equality approach, so that men and women no longer interact differently with regard to their access, use and control of the existing energy technologies, but interact on equal terms.
This reality demands from our governments, for those who do not have it yet, the creation of public policies aimed at reducing the technological gaps, through positive actions with gender equality and access to energy through projects, social impact programs, planning and budgets in order to contribute to the fulfillment of women's rights.
As UN-Women puts it, it is about transforming unequal gender relations, ensuring that power relations, decision-making, access and control of resources occur in an equitable manner that contributes to the fostering of the empowerment of women, in all its expressions.
Within the framework of the exchange of experiences and good practices, in the northern part of Nicaragua, we have an important group of women called Solar Women of Totogalpa, who manufacture and train in the use of renewable energy technologies, and have shared their experience with the National University of Engineering of Managua and prestigious universities of the United States such as the “Cornell University”, that has contributed to the development and exchange on solar energy and eco-stoves in rural communities in Nicaragua during the last 8 years.
Likewise, in the Eastern Zone of Nicaragua, the FUPROSOMUNIC Project - Solar Project Foundation for Nicaraguan Women - actively contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of women and their families, as well as the preservation of the environment through the use of solar energy, this project encourages the use of solar stoves, improved wood stoves, implementation of the SODIS method to purify water, for which they received an innovation award in 2018, solar dehydrators and the electrification of family homes with solar modules.
Today, when we have reached 96.8% of electricity coverage, and 60% of electricity generation and consumption with renewable sources, we promote the reduction of the use of firewood for cooking, which will prevent the deforestation and will reduce respiratory, ophthalmological and dermatological diseases for our vulnerable population, particularly women.
Also, the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity of Nicaragua promotes Energy Efficiency and Distribution for Self-Consumption, with the approval of Laws and Regulations that contribute to the sustainable development of the Country and the Nicaraguan families.
We believe that the time has come to address, with a future projection for the development of our countries, the creation and constant revision of the existing policies that contemplate a gender equality approach, at the legislative and institutional levels and energy projects that allow the empowerment and full integration of women into the field of energy and responds to the needs, particularities and interests of the female population.
Thank you very much Madam President.