On August 24–28, representatives of Panevėžys City Municipality participated in an international project meeting in Smolyan, Bulgaria, organised within the CERV-funded initiative “The Power of W – Sustainable Energy for Developing European Towns” The gathering brought together municipalities and organisations from Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Latvia and Lithuania, strengthening cooperation among partners and deepening the project’s focus on gender equality in the sustainable energy sector.

During the meeting, participants took part in a series of thematic seminars, discussion sessions and practical workshops dedicated to women’s leadership, inclusive energy policies and developing stronger cooperation networks across Europe. A key element of the Smolyan event was the “Mentorship Mixer”, which encouraged knowledge-sharing between participants, highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships, and provided new insights into effective mentorship models for empowering women in the energy field.

Interactive sessions focused on identifying challenges that women face in the energy sector, analysing good practices across participating countries and exchanging ideas on how municipalities can better integrate gender equality principles into sustainable development strategies. Smolyan also offered cultural and educational visits, enabling partners to learn more about local community initiatives, environmental projects and youth engagement activities.

Panevėžys City Municipality actively contributed to discussions by sharing local experience, ongoing initiatives and lessons learned from previous project phases, including the international training session hosted in Panevėžys earlier this year.

The project “The Power of W” is financed by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, Networks of Towns strand.