Bangladesh clean energy shift gives women little chance to shine

Global boost in renewables has created 12.7 million jobsBangladesh plans to cut carbon emissions lack focus on genderSolar energy sector still employs few womenDHAKA, Nov 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When Shefali Khatun separated from her husband, her biggest worry was how she would support her young son and cover all the expenses for their home in central Bangladesh – without a job.Then she heard about a programme run by a Bangladeshi green energy initiative that teaches women to build and fix solar-power systems. She signed up, despite having no engineering background or experience in the renewable energy sector.Five years on, Khatun now works making solar equipment and earns about 10,000 taka ($95) a month, enough to meet her family’s needs and send her son to school.”This work changed my fortune and helped me become self-reliant,” she said from her home in Mymensingh. “I…

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