As part of its efforts to empower members of the local communities in which it operates through initiatives in energy, health, education and women’s empowerment, ExxonMobil held its tenth Power Play session during the Angola & Gas 2019 conference on Wednesday.
In attendance was the First Lady of the Republic of Angola, Ana Dias Lourenco; the Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum, H.E. Diamantino Pedro Azevedo; and Senior Vice President of Exxon Hunter Farris, among other distinguished guests. Spearheading the event was Vice President of Africa Exploration Pam Darwin, who delivered a keynote address earlier in the day concentrating on the advancement of women in the oil and gas sector.
The session aimed to discuss the opportunities for women and women-owned businesses through an interactive session of presentations and networking opportunity.
“Power Play is about sharing ideas about what women, companies, governments and non-profits are doing so that we can learn from each other,” said Darwin. “As the African proverb goes, if you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.”
Angola Power Play is the first time that the event has been held in Angola, and represents the tenth Power Play, with the first held in Perth. Other sessions have been held on the continent in Egypt, Mozambique, Mauritania and South Africa.
In addition to the energy sector, Exxon solicited the participation of local members of the community from a range of sectors, including education, science and technology.
Investing $120 million in development programs since 2005, Exxon leads several programs focusing on the advancement of women, including the Women’s Economic Opportunity Initiative, the Global Women in Management Program, and the Angola Women’s Farmers Club, which aims to shift women subsistence farmers to surplus farmers.
