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Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day in Fiji

Suva, Fiji, Thursday, 23 June, 2022: International Women in Engineering Day (23 June, 2022) is an international awareness campaign to raise the profile of women in engineering and focus attention on the amazing career opportunities available to girls in this exciting industry.

The Pacific Regional Director, Katerina Syngellakis of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), was invited as a guest speaker to celebrate the achievements of women engineers in Fiji by the Women in Engineering Pacific and Timor-Leste in partnership with the Fiji Institution of Engineers as part of the Inaugural Fiji celebration of International Women in Engineering Day, at the Albert Park Pavilion in Suva. The guest speakers also included the President of the Fiji Institution of Engineers, Mr. Vijay Krishnan and Ms Megan Zoing-Volau from the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE) project.

In delivering her remarks, the Pacific Regional Director shared insights on her role as part of GGGI, which involved supporting renewable energy development, integrating climate change into infrastructure investments, and innovating to bring low carbon, clean technologies to the Pacific and promote the circular economy. She reiterated the important role engineers have in supporting Pacific Island Countries in pursuing a long-term transition to low-carbon, inclusive development while also adapting to climate change and rapidly building resilience.

“In reaching 100% renewable energy, engineers will be involved in every step of the way from conducting analysis and planning investments to writing tenders and technical specifications to being on contractor teams and in electricity utilities constructing the new power plants and connecting them to the grid. A wide range of different expertise will be needed including civil, mechanical, geotechnical, environmental, and electrical engineers and project managers,” she added.

The Women in Engineering Pacific and Timor-Leste community was formed in 2021 and is group of women who work in or aspire to work in engineering in the Pacific and Timor-Leste region. Their vision is an engineering sector that is an inclusive and diverse profession that values and enables the contributions of women towards ensuring sustainable solutions and outcomes for communities in the Pacific region and Timor-Leste.

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.