The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is funding a relaunched fellowship programme that aims to build women’s leadership and technical skills in the region’s energy sector.
The regional financial institutional in a press statement said the 2026 Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Fellowship Programme brings together 13 women from 10 Caribbean countries. It combines mentorship, leadership development, professional coaching, technical training and regional networking.
The Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) runs the programme. CDB’s funding comes through its partnership with CCREEE under the Accelerated Sustainable Energy and Resilience Transition 2030 Regional Capacity Strengthening Programme, known as ASERT 2030. The Bank did not say how much it is contributing.
CDB Vice President for Corporate Services Gillian Charles-Gollop spoke about the programme at the WIRE Luncheon during the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) 2026. She said women must help shape and lead the region’s energy transition, not simply take part in it.
“We should not simply prepare more women for leadership. We must also ensure that opportunities exist for them to lead,” she said.
The luncheon brought together women leaders, fellows, mentors, alumni and development partners to discuss mentorship, career advancement and women’s role in sustainable energy.
Charles-Gollop has served as a mentor in an earlier WIRE programme and says she has benefited from mentorship during her own career. She described mentorship as more than career advice, saying that, done well, it builds confidence, widens professional networks and helps women recognise and pursue their potential.
She acknowledged WIRE mentors Dr Indrawatee Haraksingh and Dr Ruth Potosingh, along with the fellows, alumni and partner organisations involved in the initiative.
The two priority areas for the programme are: making sure the current fellows get the full benefit of the training, mentorship and connections on offer and securing WIRE’s long-term future as a regional platform for women in sustainable energy
Charles-Gollop called for continued collaboration among governments, development institutions, utilities, the private sector and WIRE alumni. She said today’s fellows could become tomorrow’s mentors and advocates.
CDB’s delegation at CREF 2026 also included Judith Ephraim-Schmidt, Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, and Charmaine Gill-Evans, Sustainable Energy Specialist.