Ilda Dautović from Montenegro, Sara Suli from Albania and Irina Fusaru from Moldova have won the first Women in Energy Photo Contest, organized by the Energy Community Secretariat in cooperation with GIZ. The competition aimed to highlight the contributions of women working in the energy sector and challenge gender stereotypes.
The winners of the first Women in Energy Photo Contest were selected from 55 applications submitted from across the Energy Community region. Their photographs were unveiled at the Just Transition Forum 2026, held on October 20 in Podgorica, Montenegro.
The three winning photographs, along with 13 additional entries, were featured in an exhibition celebrating women’s roles in the energy sector in Southeast and Eastern Europe.
The exhibition will also be presented at the International Gender Champions Meeting in November 2026 and at other regional and international events.
The contest invited women working in the energy sector to submit photographs of themselves in their actual working environments, including transmission networks, control rooms, warehouses, solar installations and community energy projects.
Its aim was to raise the visibility of women’s diverse roles and expertise, challenge gender stereotypes and inspire future generations to pursue careers in energy.
First prize: The Anatomy of a Grid
Ilda Dautović, Chief Transmission Line Maintenance Engineer and Head of the Overhead Lines Maintenance Department at Montenegro’s transmission system operator CGES, won first prize for her photograph The Anatomy of a Grid.
Dautović has more than ten years of experience in the high-voltage sector. She has risen from graduate intern to field maintenance engineer to department head, coordinating maintenance of Montenegro’s 110 kV, 220 kV and 400 kV transmission networks. Her winning photograph was taken in the field in Krnovo, Montenegro.
“Leading in the field means bridging heavy infrastructure with cutting-edge tech to power the future. Gender never defines capability – expertise, teamwork, and vision do”, Dautović said.
Second prize: Patience has its Frequency
Sara Suli, a SCADA/EMS Specialist at Albania’s transmission system operator OST, received second prize for her photograph Patience has its Frequency, taken at Mali Robit in Albania.
Suli holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic University of Tirana. She has participated in several youth energy initiatives, including the European Youth Energy Forum and the Energy Community Summer School.
“From grease on my hands to ideas on my desk, I’ve learned that capability has no gender. You don’t have to start with all the answers – start with curiosity,” Suli said.
Third prize: What Keeps Energy Moving
Irina Fusaru, Operational Coordination Manager at Premier Energy Distribution in Moldova, won third prize for her photograph What Keeps Energy Moving, taken at the company’s central warehouse in Chișinău.
Fusaru has spent 22 years working in customer service, procurement and logistics. She is also a PhD student at Moldova State University and, through the Horizon Europe STAR project, has researched ESG reporting in the Austrian energy sector, including how gender, diversity and inclusion are reflected in it.
“I do not want a woman in energy to be remarkable simply because she is a woman. I want her knowledge, decisions, and results to be what people remember.” Fusaru stated.
All winning and exhibited photographs, together with the stories of the women behind them, are available on the contest website.