On December 6, the Energy Poverty Alleviation Office (EPAO) participated in the pan-European conference of the WISE programme, held in Sofia. Focusing on the energy poverty faced by women, the conference brought together 150 participants from various sectors and from all participating countries in Europe: Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands.
From the City of Athens, participants included Nikos Chrysogelos, Deputy Mayor of Athens for Climate Governance and Social Economy, and Ioannis Vavitsas, a staff member of the Energy Poverty Alleviation Office, who presented the Office’s activities and highlighted initiatives undertaken to address the issue.
Energy poverty among women is a serious social issue. Across Europe, single women — including students, young workers, single mothers, elderly women, and migrants — are three to four times more likely than the general population to experience severe energy vulnerability.
The WISE project focuses on strengthening solidarity among women and has the following main objectives:
- Raising awareness of the energy injustices faced by single women.
- Organizing energy solidarity actions to enhance women’s energy knowledge and expertise.
- Coordinating efforts to shape policies and practices that promote energy solidarity.
The conference programme in Sofia provided opportunities for:
- Presenting the WISE project and exchanging experiences and best practices in addressing women’s energy poverty.
- Analyzing the current situation in WISE partner countries.
- Participating in workshops focused on actions required across various sectors.
- Developing strategies for a fair and clean energy transition, with an emphasis on protecting single women, through a human rights lens.