By Seth Onyango
At 67, Faustina Boakye’s youthful vigour belies her age, a detail she casually brushes off with a smile accustomed to such compliments. But beyond her age-defying appearance and schedule, Boakye is driven by a mission. In her case, that mission is to push for women’s active participation in the African energy sector.
“It’s crucial to involve women in energy; their potential remains largely untapped,” Faustina stated emphatically.
Boakye, often labelled a ‘nuisance’ by her critics, embraces the title as a badge of honour, asserting her commitment to fighting for women’s access to affordable energy, opportunities, and technologies along the energy value chain.
“I am a nuisance whenever I go, but for a good course. I’ll continue to make noise until the powers that be succumb to this issue of gender equality and involvement of women in the energy and climate sectors,” she vowed, speaking at COP28 in Dubai.
Her advocacy is rooted in the conviction that women, traditionally seen only as caregivers and excluded from significant decision-making roles in energy, have much more to offer. “They’re not just caregivers. They’re innovators, leaders, engineers,” she said.
Faustina’s journey into advocacy began with a stark realisation during her extensive career as a journalist that more needed to be done to cast the spotlight on women.
“Covering conflict zones like Darfur (Sudan), I saw the dire struggles of women. It was heartbreaking but eye-opening,” she recalled.
These experiences laid the groundwork for her transition from journalism to activism, having also worked at World Vision. At one point, upon seeing women’s involvement in the Arab Spring, she wanted to protest at the embassies of those nations in Accra, Ghana, in solidarity with them.
At COP28’s gender pavilion, she spoke passionately about the tangible changes she’s witnessed through women-led initiatives in the energy sector.
“One of our entrepreneurs developed LPG stoves tailored for African pots, transforming cooking in local restaurants. Another is revolutionising fuel with bamboo briquettes,” she explained with pride.
But her efforts go beyond advocating for local entrepreneurship. At international forums, Faustina has become a vocal advocate for direct financial support to women in the energy sector. This is a hot issue at COP28, where funding for a Loss and Damage Fund was announced on the event’s opening day.
“We need to channel climate finance directly to these women, not just through governments or large organisations,” she argued.
Despite the challenges, including a failed bid for a parliamentary seat due to entrenched gender biases, Faustina remains undeterred.
“I’m not going to stop making noise until the issues of gender equality and involvement of women in the energy and climate sectors are adequately addressed,” she declared.
Her message, she stated, is clear: women must be given fair access to energy resources and decision-making processes, especially in climate change and energy transitions.
One focus of Boakye’s advocacy is funding micro-enterprises through micro-loans and training female entrepreneurs. Her efforts have led to the creation of workshops and training programs that educate and inspire women to pursue careers in energy.
Her approach to advocacy now includes leveraging her journalism background to highlight issues related to women and energy. She believes that by documenting stories of women affected by energy policies or those making a difference in this field, she brings much-needed attention to the issues and the women driving change.
bird story agency
