Project context

Energy security has become a central strategic priority across Central and Southeast Europe region, shaped by geopolitical developments, market volatility, and the ongoing energy transition. Ensuring secure, affordable, and sustainable energy systems is essential for economic stability, political sovereignty, and societal resilience.

At the same time, women remain underrepresented in energy policy and decision-making – particularly at early career stages, where future policymakers and political actors are being shaped.

In line with their commitment to democratic values, regional cooperation, and a social market economy, the partners aim to support a new generation of women engaged in public policy and politics. By combining energy policy with leadership development, this initiative contributes to building long-term capacity and regional networks in a strategically important field.

Objectives

The seminar aims to:

• Build a strong foundation in energy security concepts and geopolitics • Introduce the political dimension of energy and decision-making processes

• Enable participants to analyze national and regional energy challenges

• Develop practical policy recommendations through guided group work • Contribute to the development of a long-term regional network of emerging women professionals and political actors, fostering continued exchange and cooperation beyond the seminar

Key topics

Participants will engage with:

• The “4 A’s” of energy security: availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability
• Geopolitics of energy and regional interdependencies
• National energy systems and vulnerabilities
• Energy as a political and strategic issue
• Crisis scenarios and supply disruptions
• The societal and gender dimension of energy security
• Translating challenges into policy-relevant recommendations