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ENERGIA News Issue 4, October 1997

Meeting ENERGIA Members

Peggy Liswane Chiwele
Senior Energy Planner with the Department of Energy, Lusaka, Zambia

Interviewed by Margaret Skutsch

Peggy, as I remember we first met when you attended a course on rural energy planning at Twente University in 1985, and since then we have met at a number of courses and workshops, including the one at the ADB on the Role of Women in Sustainable Energy Development, last year in Abidjan. It seems you have been working for quite a long time in energy.
Can you tell me how you got into this subject in the first place?

In fact I got into the energy field almost accidentally. After graduating from the University of Zambia with a BA in Public Administration 1983, I was to wait for a civil service job to fulfil my student sponsorship obligation to the government. A friend of mine told me that there was a new Department of Energy that had just been established in the then Ministry of Power, Transport and Communications, and that new graduates were being recruited, both from engineering and humanities. Without wasting much time I went to enquire, was interviewed the following day, and got a job there, partly I think because I had done a course in Public Policy Analysis and got an A+ for my dissertation. Later I got a Diploma and an M.Sc. in Energy Economics in the UK.

And what kind of work are you involved in at present?

At present I am Senior Energy Planner but the work I am doing has been more or less the same over the fourteen years I have worked for the Department of Energy. I have been involved in energy surveys and data collection and analysis, preparation of energy reports, budgeting, and project planning, appraisal and evaluation. I have also participated in the regional energy planning activities of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

At what point in your work did you become aware of specific problems as regards women and energy?

I have always been aware of problems as regards women and energy. However, the problems became more pronounced or obvious when other ladies joined the department (for a long time I was the only professional lady there). It's a men's world and the more challenging positions or jobs are given to men, regardless of qualifications or experience. The heart of this problem in my view in the Zambian set-up, is cultural or traditional. A woman should not be seen to be above men. Most decision makers, who happen to be men, feel more comfortable giving such challenging jobs to men. They would rather see to it that women are more in the subordinate jobs, like administration and secretarial assistance. The other aspect is type of training. Women tend to get into the more traditional training programmes than men. For example, from primary school, girls will usually be encouraged to do subjects in the arts and not the sciences. When they finally get to university they find they can't enter science or engineering. If they manage to break “the glass ceiling” they are still regarded with suspicion and not given the encouragement they need to excel. In order for women to succeed in getting to the top, they have to be super-human and do exceptionally well. Many of us try very hard at first, but give up when we think we are hitting against a wall, unfortunately.

Do you get much opportunity in your work to respond to women and energy problems as they exist in the field?

I do not find many opportunities in my work to respond to women and energy problems. Many people are not aware of the vastness and diverseness of the energy field let alone the gender problems that are inherent in it. There is not much support as these issues are usually pursued only by women who don't have much representation in decision making at the top. On the other hand, I think we now have more channels and opportunities for this issue to be discussed than we had before. I am optimistic that with a little more marketing, this area may receive the attention it badly needs.

Can you mention any people or events that you feel have strongly supported you in working on the problems of women and energy?

The Abidjan workshop on the Role of Women in Sustainable Energy development was an eye opener. With magazines such as ENERGIA News and by making contact with women who have contributed in the energy field, I think that I have the stamina to venture out now!

What do you feel could help you most now?

What could help me now is to get a network on Women and Energy started and I foresee a possibility of getting support from well wishers including donors. When such a network is started we could then hold meetings and workshops locally. We could use a lot of input from ENERGIA! Currently, there is nothing going on women and energy in Zambia.

Most professional women have to balance the demands of their job with the demands of family and home, and I know you are married, Peggy, and have two young children, so you are no exception! Do you yourself find this a problem, and how do you resolve it?

I don't think women should be either here or there. There is need from time to time to balance our dual duties as mothers and workers, for fulfilment. I have been able to work well despite having children. First of all I gave ten years' wholehearted, devoted service to my job before starting a family. Then when they came, I had the rare privilege of being able to look after my two sons for over three months each. This gave them a good foundation which sent me back to work with little worry, and I was able to nurse my boys at lunch time after I resumed work too. So their health is good and my concentration on the job is also higher. I am a member and leader in the La Leche League International, which encourages breast feeding for the first six months of life and I think this is very important. But I should like to see more baby friendly work places in Zambia. If employers were more understanding and supportive, a lot of women would be able to practice sequencing and perform well at work, despite their other God given roles.

Peggy, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us, because I know you are very busy and have a number of urgent assignments to attend to. It has been a pleasure knowing you and I wish you all the best in ‘venturing out’ in the field of women and energy in Zambia! Keep in touch, and let us know how we can help you.

If you would like to know more about Peggie's work, please contact her at:
Peggie Liswane Chiwele, Senior Energy Planner, Department of Energy, P.O. Box 50296, Lusaka, Zambia; Tel. +260.1.252339/251337, Fax +260.1.252339/254491