International Women’s Day 2014 Statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella - Special Representative of the Secretary-General & CEO Sustainable Energy for All

A 2014 statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, outlining the critical link between energy access and the health, safety, and economic empowerment of women and children.

• The Sustainable Energy for All initiative, launched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, aims to reach three goals by 2030: universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvement, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• The United Nations General Assembly designated 2014–2024 as the International Decade of Sustainable Energy for All, with the years 2014-2015 specifically focused on the relationship between energy and the health of women and children.
• Household air pollution from kerosene lamps and biomass energy sources is linked to approximately 4 million premature deaths annually, primarily affecting women and children; this figure is nearly double the combined incidence of Malaria and HIV/AIDS.
• Lack of electricity in primary health care units is a primary cause of high maternal mortality, as health workers must rely on torchlights, candles, and kerosene lanterns, and lack the ability to charge phones for emergency calls.
• Energy access facilitates women's economic empowerment by replacing manual labor—such as hauling water and pounding grains—with mechanical power, and by reducing the time girls spend collecting fuel wood, which allows them to attend school.

APA

Yumkella, K. K. (2014). International Women’s Day 2014 Statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella - Special Representative of the Secretary-General & CEO Sustainable Energy for All. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/news/international-womens-day-2014-statement-by-kandeh-k-yumkella-special-representative-of-the

Chicago

Yumkella, Kandeh K. International Women’s Day 2014 Statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella - Special Representative of the Secretary-General & CEO Sustainable Energy for All. Sustainable Energy for All, 2014. https://www.seforall.org/news/international-womens-day-2014-statement-by-kandeh-k-yumkella-special-representative-of-the.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Yumkella |first1=Kandeh K. |title=International Women’s Day 2014 Statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella - Special Representative of the Secretary-General & CEO Sustainable Energy for All |publisher=Sustainable Energy for All |date=8 March 2014 |url=https://www.seforall.org/news/international-womens-day-2014-statement-by-kandeh-k-yumkella-special-representative-of-the |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{yumkella2014international, author = {Yumkella, Kandeh K.}, title = {{International Women’s Day 2014 Statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella - Special Representative of the Secretary-General \& CEO Sustainable Energy for All}}, publisher = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2014}, month = mar, url = {https://www.seforall.org/news/international-womens-day-2014-statement-by-kandeh-k-yumkella-special-representative-of-the}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }