UNDP Internalizes Gender Empowerment Approaches into Solar PV Technical Training for Operators

"This is my first time coming to Jakarta. I want to visit Monas; so far, I have only seen from pictures," said Hasrianti, one of the local operators from Lenggora Pantai Village, Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, while attending the Technical Training for Solar Power Generation (PLTS) at the Human Resources Development Center in the field of Electricity, New Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation (PPSDM KEBTKE), Ciracas, East Jakarta. Not only Hasrianti but almost all 19 trainees also felt the experience of visiting the nation's capital for the first time. They came from remote villages in Southeast Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan Provinces.

After the training session, the female operators from these nine villages gathered to tell each other how their journey to meet in Jakarta was. "From the beginning, I wanted to register as an operator and get new experiences," said Tety, from Tasipi Village in West Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province. 

She was initially offered to register as a secretary or treasurer of the BUMDes (Village-Owned Enterprises). Still, she preferred to take the operator selection exam and was successfully passed as an operator candidate. Unlike Tety, Rani from Muara Ripung Village, South Barito Regency, was initially unsure of being a PLTS operator. "I don't have experience, while the PLTS operator will take care of the electrical engineering. But my family motivated me; there must be a way if I want to work and learn," said Rani, who wants to contribute to her village community in Central Kalimantan's interior that needs electricity.

These female operators are grateful that the project provides opportunities and actively encourages women's involvement in activities in their villages. Gender equality is a commitment of UNDP Indonesia implemented in various ways, including increasing the role of women in decision-making and advancing women's access to non-traditional jobs, such as the ACCESS Project.

The ACCESS (Accelerating Clean Energy Access to Reduce Inequality) Project is a collaboration program of UNDP and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to build 23 off-grid centralized PLTS units in 23 villages in Central Kalimantan, Southeast Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, and NTT provinces, with funding support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Indonesia.

"Giving 50 percent of the PLTS operators quota to women is one of the efforts to encourage women's involvement in the energy sector, which men have dominated," said Dr. Agus Prabowo, Senior Management Advisor, UNDP in his opening remarks for Operator training, 7 March 2022. The training and certification, which took place from 7 to 19 March 2022, is the first batch of three batches for Indonesian operators. "Looking at these female operators, I hope they can motivate other women to increase their involvement in the clean energy sector," said Andriah Feby, Director of Aneka Energi, who expressed her appreciation to the training participants.

The involvement of 50% of women as participants in the technical training is also a challenge for the organizers. "Initially, these female operators were more passive in class, so we needed a different approach to finding out how far they understood them. We repeated things they didn't understand," Agus Yulianto, a KEBTKE PPSDM trainer, described his experience.

The ACCESS Program provides GESI (Gender Empowerment and Social Inclusion) sessions before the training to equip the organizers and teachers. "After attending the gender session from UNDP yesterday, I am more aware of gender-biased things. It turns out that some things are often taken for granted," Ginanjar, the KEBTKE PPSDM trainer, expressed his appreciation. ACCESS also involves female teachers in technical training materials, debriefing, and motivational sessions.

Enthusiasm and motivation are the main provisions that encourage these female operators to keep fighting. Not only to present in Jakarta but also to return to the village bringing knowledge and technical skills to their villages. "It is evident from the training results that these female operators compete on a par with male operators in terms of their technical knowledge and skills," concluded Laode Sulaeman, Head of PPSDM KEBTKE ESDM, in the training closing ceremony.

Written by Mathilde Sari (National Project Manager, ACCESS) and Imas Agustina (Technical Officer Capacity Building ACCESS)