International Women’s Day is celebrated March 8 each year since 1911. This article is the final installment of our three-part series for International Women’s Day 2025, exploring the intersection of gender and sustainability. The energy sector, a crucial pillar of climate action, remains one of the most male-dominated industries, slowing progress toward a sustainable future.
Women in Energy: Bridging the Gender Gap
Despite the global push for renewable energy, women are vastly underrepresented. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The renewable energy sector has seen steady growth in recent years, yet gender equity remains a significant challenge, with women comprising just 32% of the global renewable energy workforce. Despite progress, such as the 40% female workforce in the solar photovoltaic industry, women continue to be underrepresented in technical, managerial, and policy-making positions, especially in the wind energy sector, where they represent only 21% of the workforce. This disparity is particularly evident in the Multidisciplinary Energy and Technology sector, which women are often more attracted to, yet still remains predominantly male-dominated. According to IRENA’s reports, there is a pressing need to enhance female participation at all levels to unlock their talents and potential, ensuring the sector benefits from diverse perspectives, leadership, and innovation.
In areas with limited electricity access, engaging women as key contributors to off-grid renewable energy solutions can significantly impact both sustainability and gender equality outcomes. IRENA’s findings indicate that women’s involvement in the energy value chain—ranging from consultation and planning to construction and operation—creates employment opportunities while empowering women locally. These opportunities are particularly impactful in areas where renewable energy adoption is growing rapidly, as women’s leadership can drive sustainable solutions that resonate at the household and community levels. With women at the forefront of energy innovation and deployment, the sector stands to benefit from more collaborative work environments, improved performance, and a more inclusive approach to addressing climate change and energy poverty.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), women make up about 20% of the global energy workforce, despite representing nearly 40% of the global workforce across all sectors. This underrepresentation is particularly notable in leadership roles within the energy industry, where women remain largely absent. Additionally, the IEA points out that the number of women entering vocational occupations—key for many energy-related jobs—is also significantly low, with women representing less than 3% of workers in certain trades such as roofers and electricians, which are critical to the energy sector.
The IEA further emphasizes the importance of increasing the number of women pursuing education in energy-related fields, particularly in vocational training. The IEA’s data highlights promising trends in STEM education, but the imbalance remains evident in the energy workforce. This highlights the missed opportunity for tapping into a vast pool of talent that could drive energy transitions forward. Expanding gender inclusion in energy policies and planning will not only enhance the diversity of skills and perspectives but will also contribute to a more secure and equitable energy future globally.
Powering Progress: How Women’s Inclusion Can Fuel The Sector
A gender-inclusive energy sector is critical for accelerating the clean energy transition. Studies from the IEA highlight that countries with higher gender equality in energy policy and workforce participation have faster rates of renewable energy adoption. According to the 2022 World Energy Employment report by the IEA, the global energy and related sectors employed over 65 million people in 2019, accounting for nearly 2% of worldwide formal employment. Of these, half are employed in clean energy technologies. Employment within the energy sector is roughly divided into three categories: fuel supply, the power sector, and energy end uses, with each sector comprising about one-third of the total energy workforce. However, women are significantly underrepresented in the energy sector. Despite constituting 40% of the global workforce, women make up only 16% of the workforce in traditional energy sectors. Additionally, women hold just under 14% of senior management positions in the energy sector, which is below the 16% average seen across the global economy. The gender disparity is most pronounced in sectors such as nuclear and coal, where the share of women in senior management is as low as 8% and 9%, respectively, while electric utilities, with nearly 20% women in senior management, perform slightly better.
The report highlights the outlook for gender inclusion in the energy sector, particularly within the context of clean energy. While there are no significant differences in female employment between fossil fuel and clean energy sectors globally, clean energy start-ups show promising signs of change, with a higher share of women founders and inventors. This shift presents an opportunity to improve female representation in the growing clean energy segments. According to the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions Scenario, 14 million new clean energy jobs are expected to be created by 2030, underscoring the potential for growth. However, for women’s roles to improve across all sectors, further efforts are needed. Introducing supportive public sector policies and private sector initiatives that promote diverse hiring practices could help achieve a better gender balance, especially in management. Studies have shown that diversity improves firm performance, competitiveness, and innovation, which are critical to advancing the energy sector and meeting global change goals.
Empowering Women to Lead in Energy
Systemic barriers remain a significant challenge for women in the energy sector. According to a 2020 report from the Harvard Business Review, women-led startups receive only 2% of venture capital funding, a statistic that has not changed over the past four years, as corroborated by a 2024 World Economic Forum report. This persistent underinvestment severely limits women’s ability to scale solutions that could drive widespread decarbonization. Moreover, a lack of mentorship, gender bias in hiring, and poor workplace cultures, compounded by inadequate policies, continue to hinder women’s progress into leadership roles. Despite the desire for top female talent, many company cultures remain unable to accommodate women in these roles, ultimately leading to their departure from the organization. This underscores the critical need for change in corporate environments to foster an inclusive and supportive space for women to thrive in the sector.
To accelerate action and close the gender gap in energy, governments and corporations must implement bold, targeted initiatives. Increasing investment in women-led energy startups, enforcing gender diversity policies, and creating STEM education programs that equip women with the necessary skills to lead in energy will be critical to achieving a more inclusive and innovative sector. Championing women in sustainability, climate change, and energy can unlock a gender-equal world that is not only fairer but also more resilient and sustainable future. For further insights check out the other articles in the series: Women And Sustainability: The Unfinished Fight For A Greener Future and Women In The Green Economy: Closing The Gender Gap In Climate Jobs
