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Women in Energy Photo Contest


The Energy Community Secretariat, in cooperation with GIZ, has launched the first edition of the Women in Energy Photo Contest. The contest invites women from across the Energy Community region to submit up to two photographs portraying themselves in their real working environment. 

The award aims to increase the visibility and recognition of women across the energy sector in Southeast and Eastern Europe by highlighting their diverse roles, expertise, and contributions. The Initiative responds to the need for more visible role models that challenge gender stereotypes and inspire future generations. Through the photo contest, the initiative seeks to foster dialogue on the institutional, educational, and workplace changes needed to enable more women to enter, remain, and advance in the energy sector. 

Applications must be submitted by 21 September 2026 (including).

APPLICATION FORM

Applications Now Open

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  • Cornerstones

    Who can apply?

    The contest is open to women working in the energy sector in the Energy Community region, including technical, operational, field-based, engineering, regulatory, policy, research, and management roles.

    Applicants must be working in and have their long-term residence in one of the Energy Community Contracting Parties: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, or Ukraine.

    The applicant must be a woman working in the energy sector whose own story, experience, or professional journey is represented in the photograph. The applicant may act as both the person featured in the image and the photographer. Photographers or other individuals who are not women working in the energy sector are not eligible to apply.

    How to apply?

    Applicants must submit up to two photographs featuring themselves. The photograph(s) may also include one or more female colleagues or a mixed team in a real energy-sector working environment. Each photograph can only be submitted by the main applicant depicted in the image. The photograph(s) should reflect a real working environment and may include the surroundings, tools, tasks or context that help tell the story.

    • Submissions may feature:
      • one woman;
      • a group of women or a mixed team, if the main woman applicant is central to the image;
      • the woman (or group) can be at different career stages.
    • Send you photograph(s) and the application form by email.
    • Deadline: 21 September 2026 (inclusive)

    Technical Aspects

    Photos must be submitted in:

    • JPEG or PNG format;
    • minimum resolution: ideally 3000 px on the longest side, or at least 2 MB file size;
    • landscape, portrait and square formats accepted;
    • colour or black-and-white accepted;
    • basic editing allowed, such as cropping, exposure and contrast correction;
    • heavy manipulation, filters, composites, AI-generated content or added/removed elements not allowed;
    • photos should be suitable for printing in A3 or A2 format.
  • The Prize

    The Prize and Visibility Opportunities

    The 10 selected winners will receive international visibility through the exhibition of their photographs at the Just Transition Forum on 20 October in Podgorica, attended by up to 120 participants from the energy sector, with the potential of the exhibition to be invited and displayed at other regional and international events.

    The first three winners will benefit from dedicated communication and outreach through the Energy Community and GIZ networks, including among others, a feautured interview, and promotion through institutional communication channels.

    The first three prize winners will have the opportunity to choose between:

    • reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs to attend the Just Transition Forum (up to EUR 500), providing a platform to present their story and connect with key energy transition stakeholders; or
    • reimbursement of up to EUR 500 for participation in an energy-related capacity-building training course of their choice, supporting their continued professional growth and expertise.

     

  • Selection process

    Selection process

    Timeline:

    • Application open: 21 September (including)
    • Winner announcement: 30 September
    • Launch of the Exhibition at the Just Transition Forum in Podgorica, Montenegro: 20 (and 21) October 2026

     

    Selection Criteria:

    • Authenticity — Does the photo capture a real woman in a real energy-sector working environment?
    • Storytelling power — Does the image tell a compelling story about women’s roles in energy?
    • Visibility — Does it challenge stereotypes about who works in the energy sector?
    • Representation of diverse and underrepresented perspectives — Does the submission increase the visibility of women working in less visible roles, occupations, workplaces, regions, or career pathways across the energy sector?
    • Visual quality — Is the photo strong, clear and suitable for exhibition?
    • Relevance to the energy transition — Does it connect to clean energy, security of supply, just transition, innovation, energy efficiency or climate action?

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