EmpowerMed addresses the challenge of energy poverty in the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on the inclusion and empowerment of women. In the Mediterranean countries, coastal areas face a number of specific challenges in the field of energy poverty, mainly related to the thermal comfort of housing. Buildings are barely insulated, often with non-existing or very inefficient heating systems. The cooling component is an important element of energy poverty in these areas. Energy poverty disproportionately affects women and women-led households, but at the same time, women are powerful agents in the fight against energy poverty. Although much is known about the effects of energy poverty on health, involving health professionals in addressing energy poverty is rare. Against this backdrop, the overall objective of EmpowerMed is to tackle energy poverty and to help improve health of people in the coastal areas of Mediterranean countries, with a particular focus on women, through the following specific objectives:
- raising public awareness of energy poverty and the means for its alleviation, focusing on the specifics of coastal areas, gender and health aspects;
- implementing practical solutions tailored to empower households affected by energy poverty;
- formulating local, national and EU policy recommendations and promoting solutions to tackle energy poverty.
