“I hail from a very impoverished background,” Eman admits with unwavering honesty. “Upon graduating from the finance department, I diligently searched for employment, but opportunities were scarce.”
Undeterred by the daunting circumstances of poverty, home loss, and displacement, Eman persevered. Upon discovering a workshop on women’s livelihood projects funded by the UNDP in her area, she seized the opportunity to take part in it. The training culminated in providing each participant with funds to establish their own project.
Renewable energy
Displaying remarkable initiative, Eman rallied nine fellow trainees to embark on an unconventional venture: a solar energy station. The driving force behind this project was Eman’s poignant realization of the severe electricity shortages affecting displaced people since the conflict erupted in 2015.
“Electricity was consistently cut off, and I witnessed children unable to study or play at night. Meanwhile, the scorching summer temperatures soared to 45 degrees celsuis,” Eman recalls.
Pooling their grants, Eman and her colleagues defied societal norms to establish Yemen’s first women-led solar station. Challenges arose as skepticism surrounded both women’s leadership and solar energy itself. “People didn’t trust women, nor the solar system,” said Eman. “They believed these projects should be led by men and doubted the solar system’s ability to produce electricity compared to fossil fuels.”
However, the tide turned when the station proved its efficiency, connecting electricity to 28 households initially and expanding to cover 53 households in 2022. The energy capacity increased from 16 KW to 128 KW. Eman’s station not only provided clean energy for lighting, cooling, and refrigeration, but also offered a competitive pricing structure compared to traditional fossil fuel stations.
As the current manager of the station, Eman speaks of her daily commitment. “I can now cover my expenses,” she proudly states.
Challenges yet to face!
Yet, challenges persist. Despite the success in supplying clean energy to the displaced community in Hajjah, the station falls short of meeting the needs of all households. Eman and her team aspire to expand their initiative to cover an additional 70,000 displaced persons. However, investing in solar stations faces limitations due to the need for technical support, a resource that is scarce in her region. Eman expresses her hope to find and train local women in solar panel system maintenance to overcome this hurdle.
Participating in COP28 poses its own set of complexities for Eman. She is accompanied by her father, as societal norms and post-conflict circumstances impose restrictions on women’s mobility. Women must be accompanied by a male relative to navigate checkpoints enforced by de facto authorities in the area.
Eman’s presence at COP28 is not merely symbolic. Having previously spoken at COP conferences, she serves as a representative of the Friends of the Environment team, sharing her firsthand experience in renewable energy and advocating for increased investments in clean energy. Her message is clear: empowering women like her is not just a social imperative but a pathway to sustainable solutions for communities in crisis.
This story was produced as part of the 2023 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
