With 111 participants from 16 EU countries, the WISE Pan-European Conference was a ‘landmark’ event for several reasons.
- WISE chose to organise the event in Bulgaria, which consistently ranks among EU countries with the highest levels of energy poverty. Notably, some 70 locals participated and the event was featured in national media.
- It was the first conference to focus solely on the plight of women in energy vulnerability, and to explore many relevant topics through the lens of energy and gender.
- The presence of women as lived-experience experts helped other actors better understand the challenges they face and where current actions and policies are failing vulnerable women.
- A keynote panel drew attention to access to affordable energy as a basic human right, including how existing rights – such as the right to a dignified life – can be used to make the case for eradicating energy poverty.
Additional content about the Pan-European Conference is under development and will be posted soon.
