BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Filagot Tesfaye has received her first degree in Electrical Engineering and her second degree in Management and Administration.
Growing up with a father whose profession was Electrical Engineer, she become more interested in the field of natural science. She then became very fond of Mathematics and Physics subjects.
She never gets tired of appreciating her teachers of those subjects who were sources of her inspirations in Bole High School. Filagot believes that their efforts have contributed a lot for where she is today.
Filagot is the Founder and Managing Director of ‘On-energy consult’. Using her knowledge and passion, Filagot is currently consulting national and international organizations in the area of energy sector.
She is passionate about empowering, mentoring and encouraging women who are in energy sector. With such great desire, she has founded the Ethiopian Women in Energy Association (EWiEn) where she is the President currently.
Lately, The Ethiopian Herald had a short stay with Filagot to talk about her journey and her experience in the energy sector. Enjoy your reading!
How did you join the energy sector and how do you see the participation of women in the energy sector?
Back in high school, Mathematics and Physics were my favorite subjects. I think that is one of the reasons that motivated me to join the engineering field. Plus, the fact that I had great teachers in my high school, I think, influenced me to choose the field despite the pressures from the society’s age-long blurred attitudes towards women who join the field.
Due to internal and external barriers that women face when trying to joining the sector, most women are forced to choose fields other than the engineering sector. Our society has unknowingly bound women to be kept on specific fields and discourages those who dare to move out of the box.
Women who brought up listening to the society will lose their self-esteem and decide to fit themselves in the box where the society designed for them. These internal and external factors are the reasons behind the underperformance and absence of showcasing their potential of women in the field.
What inspires you to establish the Ethiopian Women in energy association (EWiEn)?
The Ethiopian Women in Energy sector was established with the aim of connecting and empowering women working in the energy sector giving them higher priority to promote themselves, create networking, mentoring and professional connections between its members.
It performs activities by giving primary focus on addressing the two sides of challenges that I mentioned earlier. We focus on empowering women internally so that they can erase the feeling of inability that they were forced to accept.
On the other hand, we work on advocacy activities to create exposure and greater visibility for those women who are performing well in the energy sector to the rest of the world.
Apart from empowering these women, we also offer trainings and networking opportunities for our members. Moreover, whenever I get the time and opportunity, I dedicate it to mentoring young girls.
What role should the government play in supporting the energy sector?
The government needs to give special attention to the energy sector. To achieve the nation’s plan of 2020, it should join forces with concerned institutions.
There should be room where students of higher education institutions and vocational schools could freely practice and develop new ideas. Not only these kinds of opportunities empower students but it will also enable them to come up with improved technologies.
Empowering students is essential for the growth of the sector. In this regard, the government should play a key role by creating an opportunity. Linking students with innovative ideas with investors or creating a platform to support such innovative ideas would move the energy sector forward.
Similarly, women are not only the end users; they are also creators of energy. Seeing rural women in search of firewood by itself could be simple example. Therefore, attention should be given to women who need to engage in the area. Women are not only the highest consumers of energy in the day to day actives, they have also a great potential to provide technical advice, including their say are crucial.
Do you believe that being a woman has helped you in any way to be competent in the field?
Throughout my experience in the field, I have learned one thing. Women have different view than their male counterparts. This has enabled them to create something new which never exists before. For that reason, whenever I need something I prefer to contact my women associates who always surprise me with their thoughts.
This is the how we get different and new ideas in our sector. It is my firm believe that the more we create diversified room the more diverse ideas we will get.Given the difference in our nature, we have a different point of view on things. Thus, using the opportunity to get diversified ideas would enhance the sector.
What gaps did you observe as an electrical engineer and as pioneer in the energy sector?
Because of our educational system which is mostly theory based, most students who are good at technical works are not equally good at the business or management skills. Though they have deep knowledge on how to do their jobs theoretically, they seem to lack practical skills of handling customers and related activities. That is why the education structure should focus on practical teachings equally to the theoretical parts.
To address this challenge, the government needs to find a way of providing business management skills parallel to technical skills for the students. I want to underline here that women should be supported and empowered to be actively engaged in the energy sector. Let alone the challenges that they face equally with the male counterparts in the sector, but they have other challenges that draw them back from performing well.
In addition to this, the skill gaps are also driven from the absence of adequate laboratories that are fully equipped with necessary material. The technical and vocational schools in this regard are very promising.
What do you hope to share with our readers?
The road might not be easy and smooth but the youth should not be discouraged by it. They should create ways when things seem dark.
There is a high demand in the market. So, instead of waiting others to pave the way for them, they need to take all the opportunity life has provided them. There is no way that an idea that is applied in other country could not be practical in our country.
The Ethiopian Herald January 23/2021
