Women’s Month youth spotlight - Jitsai Santaputra

My name is Jitsai Santaputra, I have a master's degree in Sociology and Global Change, my home country is Thailand, and I currently work as a consultant at an energy markets consultancy called The Lantau Group.

What motivated you to participate in the SDG7 Youth Ambassadors programme?

I want to raise awareness about the importance of energy access, energy security, and renewable energy! So, I joined the Youth Ambassadors programme to gain the skills and knowledge about effective communication, social media strategies, and networking techniques.

How has your experience as a Youth Ambassador contributed to your personal and professional growth?

Through the Youth Ambassadors programme, I am able to generate engaging social media content to raise awareness about energy transitions in my region. It is important to me that my content is relevant to my audience within Southeast Asia, and interesting to a wider audience.

What is one memorable moment or key insight you experienced during your time as a Youth Ambassador?

One of many memorable moments was moderating the This is Cool Challenge final stage at the SDG7 Global South Pavilion at COP28 in Dubai. I felt very inspired by the finalists and was impressed by how they turned their cooling-related pain points into opportunities to develop replicable and low-cost solutions. I was honoured to moderate and announce the winner, and to see the joy on their face!

How have you used your experience as a Youth Ambassador to contribute to the empowerment of women at the local, national or international levels?

At every opportunity, I would actively identify when there is a gender imbalance and encourage rectification by proposing alternative speakers/set-up to allow for a more gender-balanced panel, event, or activity. I accept as many speaking opportunities as possible to represent youth and women and to speak about that gender gap. When I speak on panels, I know I am proving that young, female, non-engineers can also work in the energy industry, so if I can do it, you can too.

What advice would you give to women and youth who aspire to build a career in sustainable energy?

Don’t be afraid to try. Apply for that job in that career path, even if you know it is a male-dominated industry. The worst thing that could happen is a “no” but you won’t know until you try.

Follow @JitsaiS on X.