
Newly launched award to celebrate women in the biomass industry- Nominations now open

The Namibia Biomass Industry Group is calling for nominations for the Women in Biomass Industry Award, which aims to raise awareness for the impactful and diverse positions available within the biomass industry and for the extraordinary women who define these positions and fill them with life.
The award is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) / Deutsch Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation (BCBU) Project.
“We are searching for women in leadership roles that are moving the biomass industry and their businesses forward. They may be involved in any part of the biomass industry, be it sustainable harvesting, entrepreneurship, management or in the development of biomass value chains such as charcoal, bush-based animal feed or biochar,” explained Loise Iiyambo, Junior Technical Advisor at the Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation Project.
The three categories open for nominations are the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership Award, the Social and Community Engagement Award and the Employee Award.
The ‘Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership Award’ will recognise entrepreneurs with creative and innovative ideas in bush biomass value chains. It will further recognise women with leadership skills. The winner takes home N$25 000 plus a one-year free membership with Namibia Biomass Industry Group.
The ‘Social and Community Engagement Award’ will recognise individuals who are actively involved in community-based social or environmental awareness activities and committed to enhancing community livelihoods through sustainable practices from encroacher bush. N$15 000 will be awarded to the winning participant.
The ‘Employee Award’ targets an individual who is recognised by their colleagues or employers for their consistent dedication and contribution to the growth and development of the biomass industry. N$10 000 will be awarded to the winning participant.
The guidelines and nomination form are available on the N-BiG website: http://www.n-big.org/images/icagenda/files/terms-and-conditions-women-in-biomass-industry-2020-awards.pdf.
The closing date for nominations is 30 September.