4 November 2008: At the conclusion of the High Level
Regional Policy Meeting on Networking Towards Gender and Poverty Sensitive
Energy Policies, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3-4 November 2008,
the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy (ENERGIA), in
cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP), launched the Policy Innovation Forum. The Forum aims to
help provide women and the poor with reliable access to energy.

The creation of
the Forum is based on the recognition that progress in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals will be hindered or even reversed as a result of lack of
energy supply in many rural areas in the region coupled with the food, fuel and
financial crises.
During the high-level meeting, participants discussed, inter
alia: energy options for the livelihood needs for the poor and women;
transportation needs for the poor and women; regulatory options to enhance
energy access; and opportunities and barriers to financing energy options. [ESCAP Press Release]