In this interview, the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) highlights a former GWNET mentee who has gone on to become a mentor herself and is even taking steps to launch a mentoring programme for women in energy in South Africa. This is a fantastic example of how mentoring programmes not only empower individual participants but also inspire them to make broader impact and uplift their peers and communities.
“You are enough, and you belong here.” This is Winnie Mamatsharaga’s key message for women working in the energy industry. Working in Gender Mainstreaming and Transformation in the Department of Electricity and Energy Sector of South Africa, Winnie has dedicated over a decade to spearheading diversity efforts in this male-dominated space. Her department is now planning to create an even greater impact by launching a mentoring programme focusing on female energy executives in her homeland of South Africa. If anyone is a testament to the transformative power of mentorship, Winnie seems a strong candidate.
In our online call, it is hard to miss her broad smile and her radiant confidence. However, as I am about to find out, Winnie has also had her moments of self-doubt. In 2021, Winnie started a Master’s Programme in Energy Leadership. Not long into the course, she began to feel overwhelmed, and doubts flooded her mind about whether she was the right fit for the programme. She began thinking, “This is too much. I can’t do it.” In the end, Winnie decided to drop out.
Many women working in energy may be able to relate to this. After all, the energy sphere can be a lonely and daunting space for female professionals. Due to the lack of representation in the energy sector, women may feel less inclined to work long-term in energy, let alone even step foot in this area. Indeed, according to research by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), female professionals make up less than a third of the renewable energy workforce, whilst the figure falls to 22% for the traditional energy sector. As a 2020 study by the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) stresses, this is an issue we should all be worried about: diversity not only boosts the industry’s creativity and resilience, but it is also vital for a just and sustainable energy transition.
In a strange twist of fate, around the same period when Winnie left her Master’s programme, she also made another critical decision — one which was set to have a major positive influence on her life. After stumbling across a social media post, she enrolled in the ‘Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition Programme’ mentoring programme. The initiative was run by GWNET and GIZ, with the specific goal of empowering women working in the energy transition. This time, Winnie knew she was right where she belonged.
During the 12-month programme, all mentees were assigned a mentor according to their individual career goals. Winnie was matched with Shqipe N. Vela, a seasoned energy leader who has herself established a network in Kosovo to support women in energy. According to Winnie, Shqipe’s mentorship was a total game-changer, enabling her to overcome self-limiting beliefs and grow in personal and professional confidence.
One clear example of this was her mentor’s persuasion to return to university and finish the very same Master’s degree the following year. Lo and behold, Winnie did exactly that! According to Winnie, she “just flowed” through the course without any challenges. She tells me, “You just need that friend, that support to say, ‘You are on the right track. You can do it.’”
Another important insight gained from her mentor was that Winnie already had all the necessary expertise and credentials to mentor others. “I think as women […] we tend to see ourselves as not enough. So, I saw myself as needing somebody to support me.” Her mentor, Shqipe, helped Winnie realise her own value, telling her, “You are at the level to mentor somebody.” This sparked courage within Winnie to not only now serve as a mentor and expert guest speaker for GWNET, but also gain the motivation to establish her department’s mentorship programme aimed at women energy professionals at the C-suite level.
Why do senior executives need mentoring support? Here, Winnie points out an interesting paradox. She says, “We are advocating for women to climb up the career ladder. But when they are up there, there is no support.” Not only may female leaders receive fewer resources like mentorship or opportunities for professional development, but in a sector where women are already heavily underrepresented, those who do make it to leadership roles may feel even more out of place. This seems evermore concerning given the lack of women in decision-making roles, especially in critical arenas such as energy. Winnie adds, “If we don’t create platforms so that they get support, then [such women] will come down [from the career ladder] and we end up working for nothing.”
“We are advocating for women to climb up the career ladder. But when they are up there, there is no support.”
Before wrapping up our call, I ask Winnie for any final words of advice. “As women, we need to support each other. Because this is an environment where we are still manoeuvring so that our voices can be heard. […] Don’t just look at yourself only in terms of needing support, also think of the next person who needs your support.” The point is that it is not only about giving back rather than just taking, but that there’s also always room for learning and development. In fact, Winnie says that even as a mentor she continues to learn from her mentees. It’s an important reminder that mentorship is not a one-way street but an ongoing cycle of empowerment, where both parties can grow together.
Lead photo by Marlis Trio Akbar on Unsplash
Q2 2025 Climate Solutions Magazine
We encourage you to read this edition of the F20 Climate Solutions Magazine in full. The articles centre on the transformative impacts that can result from incorporating lived experiences into climate action, whether that be by approaching activism through a gendered lens, or by using decades of evidence to boldly shape national environmental policy.
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