The celebration held at its head office in Westfield was marked in the form of speeches and presentation of certificates and awards to most outstanding female staff over the past year. The move according to the company is in line with their Gender Policy.
The occasion also showcased how NAWEC is committed to supporting and giving equal opportunities to its staff.
Edirisa Jarju, IT Director at NAWEC highlighted NAWEC’s recognition of the contribution of women in their journey of providing water and electricity to Gambians.
He noted that they are positively changing the lives of many young ladies who are beneficiaries of their scholarship program through their recently approved Gender Program and Action Plan.
He said gender intervention promotes progressive human values of empowerment, non-discrimination, equity and dignity.
According to Him, NAWEC had undergone an important reform process that aims at enhancing corporate performance for reliable and efficient delivery.
Mrs Maimuna John, Human Resources Director at NAWEC said this year’s theme: “innovation technology for gender equality” is reflective of the efforts of NAWEC’s Gender Committee and Management.
She stated that gender gaps keep women from unlocking their best possible potentials.
She added that women underrepresentation in education and careers remains a major barrier in their quest to play their part in technology and their evolution over the period.
She also added that building resilience of women and girls empowerment is crucial to sustainable economic, social and political development especially for developing countries like The Gambia.
“To sustain our developing agenda, women and girls’ empowerment must be enhanced through digital innovation and technology as well as increase their participation in the renewable energy sector,” she also said.
Matarr Touray, a representative of World Bank said they have an extensive portfolio in The Gambia particularly in the energy sector where existing combined projects total over $200million.
He added that the bank has also been supporting capacity building through internship programs and scholarships to build a pipeline of female engineers across NAWEC.
He added that by the end of the project, they envisage 15% of NAWEC engineers will be females.
