{"id":47993,"date":"2025-12-06T11:18:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T08:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/?p=47993"},"modified":"2025-12-06T11:23:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T08:23:42","slug":"powering-progress-breaking-barriers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/47993\/","title":{"rendered":"Powering Progress, Breaking Barriers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Female Engineers Drive Energy Access <\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the past two decades, Netsanet Behailu has carved out a career in Ethiopia\u2019s energy and technology sector, rising from electrical engineer to her current post as a project manager with General Electric (GE) Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

After earning her first degree in electrical engineering from Adama University, she completed a master\u2019s at Addis Ababa University and later received a PhD in development engineering from a U.S. institution. Today, she works at a key switching station inside one of the capital\u2019s major substations, overseeing the flow of electricity from central transmission lines to Addis Ababa\u2019s sprawling neighborhoods. Her job involves stabilizing distribution, reducing power fluctuations, and ensuring a swift return to service when outages occur.<\/p>\n

Her resume reflects a breadth of experience, including rural electrification projects that have expanded power access to underserved communities. In 2017, the Ministry of Water and Energy honored her for helping deliver an off-grid solar system that powered rural households for almost a decade. That work, she says, helped pave the way for a new milestone: being named one of the honorees at this year\u2019s Ethiopian Women in Energy awards.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy effort and hard work allowed me to reach this level,\u201d she told The Reporter<\/em>. \u201cSuch recognition encourages not only me but also paves the way for other young women to follow in the footsteps of myself and others, motivating them to contribute more to the energy sector.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netsanet was celebrated at the fifth annual Women in Energy Awards, organized by the Ethiopian Women in Energy Association (EWiEn) on November 27, 2025. The ceremony recognized nominees for the annual Influential Women in Energy Award and honored professionals who have made notable contributions to the sector.<\/p>\n

Held under the theme \u201cDespite the Challenges, We Continue to Grow,\u201d the event highlighted the resilience and innovation of women advancing Ethiopia\u2019s energy transition. It also underlined the sector\u2019s central role in the country\u2019s development and sustainability ambitions.<\/p>\n

Energy professionals, engineers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and community leaders gathered for the ceremony, which included panel discussions on barriers to women\u2019s participation, emerging investment opportunities, and the technologies shaping Ethiopia\u2019s future power landscape. Exhibitors \u2014 from startups to established companies \u2014 showcased solutions designed to accelerate access to clean and reliable electricity.<\/p>\n

Organizers described the gathering as a platform for new partnerships and fresh ideas aimed at building a more inclusive industry. They said this year\u2019s honorees embody leadership, creativity, and measurable community impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cEWiEn has recognized many transformative women whose work has strengthened the sector and supported communities,\u201d representatives said. \u201cThe Influential Award highlights women whose courage, vision, and leadership are reshaping Ethiopia\u2019s energy landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speakers emphasized that visibility remains one of the greatest obstacles for women in the field. Many, they said, have driven innovation quietly \u2014 whether in engineering roles, research labs, entrepreneurial ventures, or grassroots advocacy \u2014 without recognition commensurate with their contributions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Awards Ceremony honors women whose work is redefining the industry and inspiring others to follow,\u201d EWiEn representatives noted. Acknowledgment, they added, helps open doors for future generations and demonstrates how talent and opportunity can align to accelerate Ethiopia\u2019s energy future.<\/p>\n

A representative from the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) said the Ministry\u2019s participation reflects a belief that progress in the power sector hinges on inclusion, diverse expertise, and equal access to opportunity. The Ministry, he noted, has collaborated with EWiEn since its early years and continues to support the association\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdvancing women\u2019s representation in leadership, operational, and technical roles remains a strategic priority for our institution\u2014not out of obligation, but because it is essential,\u201d he said. \u201cWe firmly believe that organizations become stronger when diversity is embraced.\u201d Expanding inclusion, he added, strengthens innovation and decision-making, leading to more sustainable outcomes.<\/p>\n

Empowering women, the representative emphasized, is critical to building a resilient and competitive energy sector\u2014one capable of delivering the reliable power access that Ethiopia\u2019s development demands. The initiative, he said, encourages collaboration, widens opportunity, and ensures women have the space to lead, influence, and shape the future of energy.<\/p>\n

Behind Netsanet\u2019s achievement\u2014and those of the two other honorees\u2014is the work of Filagot Tesfaye, founder and managing director of the Association and a leading voice for women in leadership. With more than 18 years of experience, she has advised governments, utilities, and development partners on renewable power, off-grid electrification, policy reform, and clean-energy transitions.<\/p>\n

The Association operates as a professional network designed to support women across the industry, providing training, mentorship, and career-building forums while advocating for equitable participation in the sector.<\/p>\n

Having reached one of the most significant milestones of her career, Netsanet says she remains focused on a core mission: ensuring that reliable electricity\u2014whether on-grid or off-grid\u2014reaches all Ethiopians. Achieving that goal, she believes, will require coordinated planning between the public and private sectors to expand the share of communities with stable, uninterrupted access to power.<\/p>\n

Her motivation, she says, has always been to demonstrate that women can excel in field-based engineering roles. The recognition, she believes, is as much about changing perceptions as it is about celebrating her own progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to succeed in my site work, and achieving that has allowed me to become a role model for young engineers like myself,\u201d she told The Reporter<\/em>. \u201cMy success has challenged long-held assumptions that women cannot handle site responsibilities. This recognition is a significant chapter in my professional life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"|<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Female Engineers Drive Energy Access Over the past two decades, Netsanet Behailu has carved out a career in Ethiopia\u2019s energy and technology sector, rising from electrical engineer to her current post as a project manager with General Electric (GE) Ethiopia. After earning her first degree in electrical engineering from Adama University, she completed a master\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":47994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1942],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-47993","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-society"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}