‘Women and Children Most Affected’- Samira Bawumia On Clean Cooking Crisis; Calls For Swift Action On Energy Transition
Her Excellency Mrs. Samira Bawumia, founder and chair of the Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC) has made an urgent appeal for an expedited transition to clean energy, stressing the world is running out of time to ensure universal energy access.
Speaking at the 2025 Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Global Forum in Barbados, she challenged world leaders, businesses and civil society to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps toward energy transition.
“Clean energy is not just about sustainability; it is about justice, security, and shared prosperity”, she highlighted.
“With less than five years left to meet the SDG7 targets, we must act decisively and immediately.”
Mrs. Bawumia painted a distressing picture of the energy crisis, particularly in Africa, with over 675 million people living without electricity and 2.3 billion people relying on hazardous biomass fuels for cooking.
She warned that the reliance on wood, charcoal, and fossil fuels is not only degrading the environment but also causing significant health hazards, disproportionately affecting women and children.
As a passionate advocate for women and children, Mrs. Bawumia called for the consideration and urgent integrationof their interests into national and international energy policies.
She cited impactful programs such as Forward7 by the Middle East Green Initiative which aims to transform 750 million lives through clean cooking innovation, and Mission 300, an initiative launched by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank to bring electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
“Clean energy solutions must be affordable, scalable, and community-centered”, she emphasized.
“This is about more than cooking; it’s about health, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability.”
Mrs. Bawumia is a globally-recognized champion for sustainable energy.
She serves as a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, the Clean Air Fund and WHO’s Health and Energy Platform for Action. In 2019, she was honoured with the Seven for 7 Award by SEforALL and Ashden for her outstanding contributions to clean energy access.
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is a global initiative committed to ensuring universal access to sustainable energy.
Working alongside governments, businesses, and international organizations, it accelerates progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7)—providing affordable, reliable, and modern energy for all by 2030.
The SEforALL Global Forum serves as a key event for driving policies, investments and partnerships to advance the clean energy agenda.
