bp has highlighted its commitment to advancing women’s participation in Africa’s energy sector by actively promoting female engineers through the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, located on the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal. During a panel session discussion titled, Energy Security in Africa: Why Women’s Participation in Africa’s Resource Governance Matters hosted by the African Women Business Energy Network at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025, Taelo Mojapelo, CEO of bp Southern Africa, emphasized the necessity of fully integrating women into decision-making processes to achieve energy security and foster equitable growth.

“Your customer base in many parts of the energy sector will be women, so ensure your supply chain reflects that reality. For example, in the GTA project we made sure to train women engineers because 65% of beneficiaries are women. This creates role models within the industry,” Mojapelo stated.

The panel gathered leaders across the public and private sectors to share solutions for strengthening women’s participation in energy. Dr. Tina Unachukwu, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at One Titanium Tubulars Ltd., stressed the importance of training, “When you train a woman, you train a generation. If a woman does not have a seat at the table, half of the African population is excluded. Women sitting at the table bring diversity of opinions.”

Stephanie Comardelle, Chief Experience Officer at S&P Global Commodity Insights, pointed to education as a foundation for progress, stating “When I think of leadership, I think of resiliency. Education is critical in the energy sector to promote more women’s participation. The private sector and NGOs also have a big role to play in driving change.”

From a policy perspective, Adam Sow, Group CFO at Petroci Holding, highlighted, “In Ivory Coast, we have a policy to promote gender parity in the workplace. Initiatives like this, alongside public campaigns, can foster real change. Ultimately, women suffer the most from lack of energy security.”

Marieme Sav Sow, Vice President for Engagement and Advocacy at TotalEnergies, mentioned financing, in particular that, “We must dedicate a specific portion of budgets to women’s initiatives. It makes sense to engage with SMEs run by women.”

“Women are master strategists. I remember how skillful my mom was at stretching a dollar—there are millions of women doing the same. Imagine putting all that resourcefulness into an energy project,” Sow concluded.