This week, women in Solar Europe (Wisu) give a voice to Dounia Ziyati, solar engineer at EDF Renewables. In women, she urges herself to imagine that they bloom in leading roles. “Today we witness women in uniforms who serve heavy machines on construction sites and bravely tackle risks frontally,” she explains.
The number of women attending solar energy rises and shows the growing presence in all disciplines, either in photovoltaic or thermal technologies. The sun sector stands out as a leader in gender representation, in which women actively participate in different stages of technical projects that go much beyond traditional roles. To ensure that this industry remains hospitable and accessible to women, we must decisively strengthen our efforts in education, mentoring and workplace policy.
Changes for transformation must be made upstream from a young age. Industries in France work closely with the Ministry of Education to make learning about complex industries fun and fascinating. The Platform “Forinindustrie, L’IVIVER Eferdereerdinich” is an innovative educational tool that is designed to present the wealth of careers in the energy sector to young people. Organizations at the national level that offer mentor and sponsorship programs to support women in planning their career and finding leadership roles, such as “Elles Bougent”, also play a crucial role. These programs connect women in different positions with mentors. By making clear the link between education and future vacancies, we can make progress faster and improve the results for everyone.
Nowadays I work in a company where our CEO is a woman and most of our teams are led by women. I can proudly say that we are approaching the 50/50 split between men and women in responsibility positions. My expertise and acquaintance make me credible. I acknowledge that my voice is wearing weight, not because of my gender, but because the technical positions that I have earned reflect my possibilities and dedication. But I have to admit that this recognition of my expertise has not always been there, such as just a few years ago, my knowledge and skills were questioned and my duties were reduced to a minimal contribution, although I had done work that had a huge impact. But I was also very lucky in my first path to be surrounded by great men who have always pushed me forward. I mainly remember a teacher who constantly challenged me to excel and even today, every time I present my work, I think of him and I am proud of the way I had to travel.
We must be aware of our impact on future generations. When we see women defending technical projects with trust and answering complex questions in interviews, this transforms the perception of the industry for looking at young girls. They start to imagine that they bloom in these roles. We went beyond the outdated stereotype of women as merely beautiful faces. Nowadays we witness women in uniforms who operate heavy machines on construction sites and bravely tackle risks frontally. It is essential to present these groundbreaking individuals. If the younger generation cannot see the enormous possibilities for them, we limit their ambitions. Moreover, we must emphasize that achieving a successful career does not require fulfilling personal life. Women have been mastering this balance for years, and now, more than ever, they excant in both arenas.
For the upcoming wave of young female industrial professionals, I would tell them that they should be themselves, because when we try to fit into a box that is formed for someone else, it doesn’t work. We are all different, and that is what makes us unique, so let’s suck it up. Be curious; The industry of renewable energy moves like a rocket, so we have to keep pace. You cannot know and manage everything yourself, but you can ask questions and be interested in the work of others, forget the idea that they think “another woman who asks a stupid question”, but very few people think that. Be patient; Although solar energy is a new industry, it was mainly founded by men, so the difference sometimes reflects different upbringing and cultures. Let the time do its magic and try to understand the challenges.
Dounia has more than 6 years of experience in the solar energy sector, which includes both research and industry. About three years ago she joined EDF -renewable energy sources as a Solar DR engineer. Her daily tasks include performing analyzes of sun sources and PV -FabrieksLay -Outs to determine the assessments of energy yield. In addition, Dounia is one of the experts in the field of solar engineering with solar resource, responsible for maintaining the data quality used in assessing energy yield and supervising the technology related to various sensors available on the market. Her journey started with a HND equivalent in thermal energy, which led a strong desire to dive deeper into the energy field. This motivation led her to follow further studies at an Engineering School (Esiereims) instead of immediately entering the industry. Drawn to research, Dounia opted for a PhD in solar energy, aimed at integrating different solar technologies to tackle the variability of the solar resource.
Interested in becoming a member Dounia Ziyati And other leaders and experts in the industry at women in Solar Europe? More information: www.wiseu.network
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