This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives the voice to Giorgia Epicoco, Senior EU Affairs Manager | Sustainability Leader at Huawei. She believes that the renewable energy sector is now ready to welcome a growing number of talented female professionals in technical, sales, marketing, operations, logistics and public affairs roles. “However, reaching top positions is not attainable for everyone, and this is where skills development becomes crucial,” she warned.
I never thought I would encounter obstacles in my career development because I always knew that with a purpose I could achieve anything. Sometimes the only real barrier I have encountered in my professional journey is the lack of a clear mission. Luckily, I had great role models growing up and met a remarkable female mentor in my very first job. This mentorship has given me the tools to navigate any organization, whether it is an international organization or a leading technology company.
Although it has not always been easy and I have encountered resistance, especially as an articulate young woman, it is clear that age is often a more significant barrier than gender at this stage. However, at Huawei I found a supportive environment in which I could flourish as a young female professional. From day one, I was encouraged to find my purpose within the company and bring fresh ideas, especially in leveraging digitalization for the green and energy transition.
Both the ICT and energy sectors suffer from limited participation of women. In Europe, only around 17% of the almost 8 million ICT specialists are women, and although the renewable energy sector is doing slightly better at 27%, there is still a significant gender gap. In my public affairs role I have the opportunity to shape the European debate on these issues through policy and education. Tackling the gender gap requires a bottom-up approach, starting with recognition and regulation, followed by education, retraining and upskilling strategies.
The EU has made significant progress in this direction. Although women in the EU earn on average 12.7% less than their male counterparts, a new report shows that there is little to no gender pay gap at senior levels in the technology industry. This improvement is partly due to the EU wage transparency directive. However, reaching top positions is not attainable for everyone, and this is where skills development becomes crucial.
The path to climate neutrality, driven by the digital and green transitions, requires a new set of skills: ‘Twin Skills’. The EU Green Deal has laid the foundation for these skills and the associated ‘twin jobs’, creating new opportunities in a modernised, agile, flexible and digital energy sector. Women, who are often involved in the social sciences, can translate their knowledge into numerous professional opportunities. Policymaking can drive industrial transformation, and women in this field can leverage their understanding of industry needs.
The renewable sector is now ready to welcome a growing number of talented female professionals in technical, sales, marketing, operations, logistics and public affairs roles. At Huawei, we see this as a huge opportunity, and we are doing our part to nurture the next generation of industry leaders. Through initiatives such as Seeds for the future and the women’s leadership programs at the European Leadership Academywe are committed to promoting a more inclusive industry.
Interested in joining Giorgia Epicoco and other female leaders and industry experts at Women in Solar Europe? Find out more: www.wiseu.network
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