“Women in Solidarity for Energy – WISE, Pan-European Workshop Series in Brussels on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, during EU Sustainable Energy Week
Solidarity: Collective action by diverse individuals and/or entities to overcome energy-related poverty as experienced by one or more parties“.
Against an EU average of 8-10% of households being in situations of energy vulnerability, among single women, the rates skyrocket. Estimates suggest that 31% of all single women cannot afford to keep their homes adequately comfortable or fall behind on paying energy bills. Narrow the focus to single mothers and the share jumps to 44%.
When using the term ‘single women’, WISE recognises that it is less than ideal to capture ‘who’ these women are. They might be one of the following:
Εnergy poverty in Greece
According to recent statistics, 19.2% of the Greek population reported being unable to keep their homes warm in winter and 12.4% face energy vulnerability. Not yet reflected in such data are the large numbers of people who cannot adequately cool their homes in hotter and longer summers. Most buildings lack proper insulation (79% in Athens), leading to high energy bills. In parallel, low pensions — particularly of women — mean the burden of energy bills is excessive.
Being among the most southern points of Europe, Greece has seen a surge in migrants over the past two decades. More recently, a large number of refugees from Ukraine have arrived. Often, such groups have a poor command of the Greek language, low energy literacy and insufficient income to purchase energy efficient appliances. Many also live in poorly maintained buildings. As a result, rates of energy poverty among migrants are much higher than for the general population.
In 2014, the government of Greece launched the ‘I am Saving Energy at Home’ programme, providing subsidies for renovations of a number of homes. Recently, the imperative to prioritise the most vulnerable households was added.
In May 2024, the Municipality of Athens established Energy Poverty Alleviation Office, which is open for in-person meetings. Trained advisors also carry out home visits to inform citizens and carry out soft measures (e.g. installing LED light bulbs) or provide advice on more complex solutions (energy efficiency renovations). By cooperating with companies providing renovation services, the municipality has also negotiated lower costs for energy efficiency measures.
‘Solidarity’ as a central theme: What does it mean?
Such actions should seek to enhance social justice while also building empathy for those whose lives are already constrained by systemic injustices. It implies a sustained commitment that may involve equitably distributing costs incurred in the pursuit of a shared goal.
Taking action to empower single women
Multiple factors contribute to the systemic injustices that undermine the health and well-being of single women and of their dependents. Most are complex and addressing them will require strategic and holistic action over the long term.
Women in Solidarity for Energy (WISE) – a european project but also a network of organisations – aims to launch an EU-wide movement to better understand and meet the energy needs of the most vulnerable citizens. WISE – Women in Solidarity for Energy – brings together partners from across Europe to explore how poor housing, energy vulnerability, gender inequality, and climate transition intersect in women’s everyday lives, and what more just, grounded, and workable responses might look like.
Across 7 countries, (Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, The Netherlands, France, Hungary, Croatia), the WISE Consortium comprises experts in technical, economic and social aspects of delivering a just, clean energy system. Several bring specific experience in tackling energy poverty and in applying a ‘gender lens’ to both policy and practical action.
A strong ability to convey the stories of ‘people and energy’ is critical to engaging others in WISE and to delivering its aims.
Among the partners of the project are 2 greek organisations, the social cooperative Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal and INZEB.
Actions for women in energy poverty, Women in Solidarity for Energy
The Project adopts energy solidarity as a core principle based on the value it can bring across three areas:
Creating Community: Many single women in energy vulnerability are also negatively affected by social isolation. Engaging local actors and citizens in tackling energy poverty can boost their psychological well-being and reduce the burden of needing to be completely self-sufficient.
Fostering co-creation of relevant solutions: Too often, policy makers and other actors implement actions that do not reflect what women most need. Solidarity aims to empower women in decision-making processes.
Over two years, WISE has organised events and carry out actions designed to raise awareness, build knowledge, motivate action and stimulate change. Most events are organised at local/national levels, aiming to gather insights as to the situation of the most vulnerable women in targeted areas. And, more importantly, to co-develop solutions that respond to their immediate needs.
In its first four months, WISE drew more than 250 people from ~20 EU countries to its first two activities:
a) creating WISE National Collectives to lead local action; and
b) organising a Pan-European Conference.
Two events are pan-European, fostering exchange and aiming to stimulate an energy solidarity movement. Policy makers and other actors come to understand that women who manage households on their own ARE the most vulnerable group in Europe.
Across 10 strategically planned events, WISE Partners aim to engage an ever-growing network of actors in the achievement of four overarching goals:
- Raise awareness of the situation of single women among the general public and decision-makers.
- Educate single women about energy in general and, more specifically, their energy rights.
- Co-develop solutions by engaging affected women and a wider range of relevant actors.
- Enable other groups to join the movement by making resources available in multiple languages
WISE anticipates a rapid multiplier effect as it advances collective action to make more resources available in diverse languages and then to raise awareness and deliver services to target women.
National collectives / Συλλογικότητες σε εθνικό επίπεδο
Short recaps of the initial WISE National Collective meetings in Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Hungary offer an overview of contexts, current situations and aspects to consider while implementing actions. Two reports prepared by WISE will be made available for downloading once approved by the European Commission.
– WISE Pan-european conference
WISE Pan-European Workshop Series in Brussels on Tuesday, 9 June 2026
Last year, among other activities, an energetic Pan-European online event, for the Women in Solidarity for Energy Project (WISE) was organised by the partners of this project. More than 200 women from all over Europe came together to discuss gender, energy poverty and climate transition challenges. We translated the Right to Energy for Women all over Europe in >15 European languages.
Now, the project is drawing to a close. There will be one more opportunity to meet and connect in person! We warmly invite you to join us at the WISE Pan-European Workshop Series in Brussels on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, during EU Sustainable Energy Week: WISE_WP10_Brussels_one-page flyer_FIN_2026.05.28
Our Brussels event will combine plenary discussions, country insights, and practical workshops with partners from across the consortium. Together, we will look at why so many women — especially those living alone, carrying care responsibilities, or already pushed to the margins — remain overlooked in housing, energy, and transition policy, and what can be done differently.
The programme includes:
- a morning session as a part of the New European Bauhaus;
- morning plenaries on housing, energy vulnerability, and country insights from across Europe;
- afternoon workshops offering practical tools and methods drawn from WISE partner experience;
- a final session asking who is still being left out by EU policies for a just and clean energy transition.
This is a space for activists, feminists, women’s rights advocates, housing and energy actors, environmental and climate justice organisations, social practitioners, public institutions, researchers, and cultural organisers who want to think and act across silos.
To find out how to join the WISE movement – as an individual, an organisation or a funder or in-kind contributor – explore the options under Ways to Engage.
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