Why is it in the News?

Though women have a crucial role in energy access, production, and consumption, they face barriers that limit their participation and impact in the energy sector.

Context:

• Gender equality and women's empowerment discussions have surged in recent times.
• Yet, the interconnectedness of gender equality and sustainable energy development is frequently neglected.
• Hence, there's a crucial need to delve into the intricate relationship between these areas, recognizing their pivotal contribution to attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Crucial Role of Gender Equality in Sustainable Energy:

Gender equality is not just a matter of social justice; it is also a prerequisite for sustainable development. Women play a crucial role in energy access, production, and consumption. Yet, they often face significant barriers that limit their participation and impact in the energy sector. This gender disparity not only hampers individual opportunities but also hinders overall economic growth and environmental sustainability.

• Foundational Role in SDGs: Gender equality is intricately linked with SDGs like SDG5 (gender equality), SDG7 (clean energy), and SDG12 (climate action), serving as a cross-cutting enabler for overall SDG success.
• Impact on Clean Energy Access: Studies consistently demonstrate that gender equality and women's empowerment are essential for achieving universal access to sustainable energy.
  • Recognizing women's active participation in the energy sector is crucial for devising inclusive policies and strategies for clean energy access.
• Strategic Alignment with Climate Action: Gender equality is integral to climate action, as reflected in its inclusion in SDG12.
  • Empowering women in the energy sector fosters sustainable and climate-resilient practices, supporting efforts to combat environmental degradation.
• Social Justice and Economic Development: Gender equality in sustainable energy transcends SDGs, embodying principles of social justice.
  • Addressing gender disparities in energy access not only aligns with moral imperatives but also drives broader economic growth and prosperity.

Gender Equality in Energy Access:

• Household Responsibilities: Women predominantly manage household energy tasks like cooking, heating, and lighting.
  • However, energy infrastructure tends to reach women last, leading to a lack of access to modern energy sources, forcing reliance on harmful alternatives like biomass and kerosene.
• Disproportionate Impact: The absence of clean and reliable energy sources exposes women and children to household air pollution, contributing to 3.2 million premature deaths annually, with 60% affecting women and children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Energy Poverty: Limited access to modern energy perpetuates energy poverty, exacerbating health risks associated with household air pollution and hindering socio-economic development.
• Gender Disparity in the Energy Sector: Despite representing 48% of the global labor force, women constitute only 32% of full-time employees in the renewable energy sector and a mere 22% in the overall energy sector.
• Educational Barriers: Gender disparities in educational access hinder women from acquiring technical skills and training necessary for employment in the energy sector, further perpetuating gender inequality.
• Limited Opportunities: Women face restricted opportunities to pursue technical roles within the energy sector, contributing to the underrepresentation of women in positions of leadership and decision-making.
• Inequitable Policies: Company policies within the energy sector often fail to promote gender diversity and equality, perpetuating systemic barriers to women's advancement and participation in the industry.

What are the Economic Benefits of Empowering Women in the Energy Sector?

• Increased Productivity and Efficiency: Empowering women in the energy sector can lead to increased productivity and efficiency.
  • Diverse teams that include women bring different perspectives, problem-solving approaches, and innovative ideas, enhancing overall productivity in the workplace.
• Enhanced Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Women's inclusion in decision-making processes within the energy sector can lead to more effective problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Research indicates that diverse teams, including gender-diverse ones, tend to make better decisions by considering a wider range of perspectives and factors.
• Talent Retention and Recruitment: Promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the energy sector can help attract and retain top talent.
  •  Organizations that prioritize gender equality are often perceived as more desirable workplaces, leading to improved recruitment and retention rates.
• Access to Untapped Talent Pool: Empowering women in the energy sector provides access to an untapped talent pool, thereby addressing skills shortages and labor market gaps.
  • By tapping into the skills and expertise of women, energy companies can enhance their competitiveness and adaptability in a rapidly evolving industry.
• Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: Gender equality in the energy sector contributes to broader economic growth and sustainable development.
  • Women's participation in the workforce, particularly in high-growth sectors like energy, stimulates economic activity, drives innovation, and fosters inclusive growth.
• Increased Financial Performance: Companies with greater gender diversity at all levels, including leadership positions, tend to outperform their less diverse counterparts financially.
  • Research suggests that organizations with diverse leadership teams achieve higher financial returns, indicating a positive correlation between gender diversity and financial performance.
• Reduction in Gender Pay Gap: Empowering women in the energy sector can help reduce the gender pay gap and promote equitable compensation practices.
  • By ensuring equal pay for equal work and addressing barriers to women's advancement, energy companies can create fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

Way Forward:

• Address Gender Disparity in the Energy Sector: Transform perceptions regarding women's roles in the energy sector and integrate gender considerations into energy policies at all levels.
  • Stakeholders including governments, non-state actors, international institutions, and philanthropic organizations must collaborate to create an enabling environment and implement innovative solutions.
  • This approach not only enhances access to clean energy but also fosters women's meaningful participation in the sustainable energy transition.
• Promote Entrepreneurship and Collective Initiatives: Support initiatives like the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE) that empower individuals, particularly women, to initiate entrepreneurial ventures and drive collective action for sustainable energy.
  • Explore opportunities in Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) initiatives, which are being implemented by various state governments in India in partnership with philanthropic organizations.
  • DRE initiatives can rapidly deliver affordable energy access, alleviate women's daily burdens, and enhance their productivity.
• Leverage Inspirational Initiatives: Draw inspiration from initiatives such as Solar Mamas launched by Barefoot College in India, which empowers illiterate women to become solar engineers.
  • These initiatives not only bring clean energy solutions to communities but also promote women's economic empowerment and leadership in the energy sector.

Conclusion

It is important to recognise that the dialogue on gender and energy has clearly shifted from women being identified as part of vulnerable groups to acknowledging them as key agents of change and decision makers across the energy sector. Gender-responsive and women-led initiatives have been successful in the clean energy space. That is why, this is the right time to harness the power of women and energy to create a more inclusive, prosperous, and sustainable world for present and future generations.