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By Melissa Wilkinson, Chief People Officer, Pele Energy Group

Energy powers cities. But people, especially women, power futures. Until women are central to Africa’s energy agenda, our progress remains only half-illuminated.

Today, our continent stands at a crossroads of two transformative forces: the shift toward green energy and the fight for gender equity. These are deeply connected. If we fail to lead from that intersection, we risk building systems that are technologically advanced, yet socially regressive.

I’ve spent my career navigating boardrooms and policy rooms that weren’t built with people like me in mind – a woman of colour raised in a township where power cuts were more common than lights. From that vantage point, I’ve learned that sustainable development isn’t only about building wind farms or deploying solar panels. It’s about reshaping systems. And women must be at the centre of those systems, not just as beneficiaries, but as builders.

Gender equity isn’t just good policy. It’s smart strategy

The evidence is clear: when women thrive, economies grow. When women lead, innovation follows. When women are part of energy systems – as engineers, project developers, investors, policymakers – our solutions become more holistic, more grounded, and more resilient.

Yet the numbers tell another story. Women make up less than a third of the global renewable energy workforce. In technical and leadership roles? Even fewer. We cannot afford to treat this as a side note. It’s not just a missed opportunity, it’s a design flaw in our energy future.

Africa’s Just Energy Transition must be about more than shifting from fossil fuels to renewables. It must also be about shifting from exclusion to equity, from scarcity of representation to an abundance of perspective.

If we are serious about delivering energy to every corner of this continent from bustling cities to off-grid rural villages then women must be shaping that future at every level.

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Culture as a catalyst

At Pele Energy Group, we have made this non-negotiable. Our commitment to people and planet moves in tandem, not in sequence. We don’t treat culture as an afterthought; it is the foundation of our strategy.

We build spaces where women don’t have to choose between being technical or empathetic, assertive or nurturing. We build systems where women can lead as their whole selves and lead powerfully.

We have backed this up through tangible action. In partnership with public and private institutions, we’ve funded more than 40 high-potential students – many of them young women from underrepresented communities to pursue energy-focused tertiary education. These are the future grid engineers, climate analysts, policy shapers, and community champions of our energy ecosystem.

But talent alone isn’t enough. We must clear the path, hold the door open, and keep it open.

From performative to transformative

This work cannot be reduced to symbolic gestures or surface-level initiatives. We need real, structural accountability. That means gender-responsive budgeting. Measurable equity targets. Investment in childcare and flexible work. Commitment to STEM education for girls. Not just once a year on Women’s Day but every day, in every boardroom, in every procurement policy.

This isn’t a “women’s issue.” It’s an economic strategy. A climate imperative. A national development priority.

If Africa is to lead the green energy revolution, then women must lead within it.

A call to action – to my fellow leaders

To those in energy, finance, and infrastructure: don’t add women to outdated systems. Redesign the systems.

Make gender equity your starting point, not your afterthought. Build with women, not just for them. Because when you empower a woman in energy, you don’t just light a bulb, you ignite a chain reaction. You power homes, dreams, and entire economies.

That’s how we build a truly illuminated future – not just fuelled by renewables, but by representation, equity, and justice.

Melissa Wilkinson is the Chief People Officer at Pele Energy Group

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