Page 8 - Women as agent of change in clean energy transition
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The effort to mainstream gender in in 2017 by the World Economic Forum change mitigation efforts is rarely
decision-making, planning, advising, (WEF) places India at the 108th position considered. The United States Agency
implementing, and managing in the overall Global Gender Gap Index, for International Development (USAID)
environment and developmental with a poor 139th position in economic in a white paper on Women at the
activities dates back to the Rio participation and opportunity, 112th Forefront of the Clean Energy Future
Declaration in 1992. Principle 20 of the position in educational attainment, published in 2014 states that globally
1992 Rio Declaration states that “women and 141st position in health and the energy sector continues to remain
have a vital role in environmental survival out of 144 countries (WEF, the most gender-imbalanced sector
management and development and 2017). According to the Periodic Labour (Pearl-Martinez, 2014). The difference
their full participation is therefore Force Survey (PLFS) data published by is starker in the conventional energy
essential to achieve sustainable the NSSO in 2017–18, female labour sector, wherein the percentage of
development”. The need for education force participation rate (LFPR) fell to women employed in the mining
and training of women, involvement of a historic low of 23.3% from 31.2% in industry, including coal, is meagre 15%
women in power and decision-making, 2011–12 (MoSPI, 2019), indicating that in Australia, 20% in the United States,
and including women in economic three out of four women in India over and 25% in Canada (Pearl-Martinez,
activities, among others, were further the age of 15 are unemployed or not 2014). The estimates are higher in the
reinforced during the fourth World seeking work. Policies, norms, and non-traditional sectors such as solar
Conference on Women entitled ‘Action institutions, which are needed to drive and wind. A survey conducted by IRENA
for Equality, Development and Peace’ gender mainstreaming in workforce, in 2018 with 1500 respondents from
held in 1995 in Beijing (United Nations, are mostly gender blind, resulting in governmental and non-governmental
1995). Women empowerment and inequity in representation and absence organizations, private companies,
gender equality were the goals in the of inclusiveness in the development academic institutions, and other
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), processes. individuals working in the energy
and they also find a significant place While involvement of women in sector across 144 countries revealed
in the UN Sustainable Development the development process specifically that women constituted 32% of their
Goals (SDGs). Notwithstanding the related to environmental sustainability renewable energy workforce (IRENA,
efforts, there are crucial challenges in cannot be overemphasized, the 2019). However, their participation in
translating rhetoric into reality. The reality is that their inclusion in energy science, technology, engineering, and
Global Gender Gap Report brought out transition solutions meant for climate mathematics (STEM) jobs was low at
JANUARY–MARCH 2020 14 ENERGY FUTURE
decision-making, planning, advising, (WEF) places India at the 108th position considered. The United States Agency
implementing, and managing in the overall Global Gender Gap Index, for International Development (USAID)
environment and developmental with a poor 139th position in economic in a white paper on Women at the
activities dates back to the Rio participation and opportunity, 112th Forefront of the Clean Energy Future
Declaration in 1992. Principle 20 of the position in educational attainment, published in 2014 states that globally
1992 Rio Declaration states that “women and 141st position in health and the energy sector continues to remain
have a vital role in environmental survival out of 144 countries (WEF, the most gender-imbalanced sector
management and development and 2017). According to the Periodic Labour (Pearl-Martinez, 2014). The difference
their full participation is therefore Force Survey (PLFS) data published by is starker in the conventional energy
essential to achieve sustainable the NSSO in 2017–18, female labour sector, wherein the percentage of
development”. The need for education force participation rate (LFPR) fell to women employed in the mining
and training of women, involvement of a historic low of 23.3% from 31.2% in industry, including coal, is meagre 15%
women in power and decision-making, 2011–12 (MoSPI, 2019), indicating that in Australia, 20% in the United States,
and including women in economic three out of four women in India over and 25% in Canada (Pearl-Martinez,
activities, among others, were further the age of 15 are unemployed or not 2014). The estimates are higher in the
reinforced during the fourth World seeking work. Policies, norms, and non-traditional sectors such as solar
Conference on Women entitled ‘Action institutions, which are needed to drive and wind. A survey conducted by IRENA
for Equality, Development and Peace’ gender mainstreaming in workforce, in 2018 with 1500 respondents from
held in 1995 in Beijing (United Nations, are mostly gender blind, resulting in governmental and non-governmental
1995). Women empowerment and inequity in representation and absence organizations, private companies,
gender equality were the goals in the of inclusiveness in the development academic institutions, and other
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), processes. individuals working in the energy
and they also find a significant place While involvement of women in sector across 144 countries revealed
in the UN Sustainable Development the development process specifically that women constituted 32% of their
Goals (SDGs). Notwithstanding the related to environmental sustainability renewable energy workforce (IRENA,
efforts, there are crucial challenges in cannot be overemphasized, the 2019). However, their participation in
translating rhetoric into reality. The reality is that their inclusion in energy science, technology, engineering, and
Global Gender Gap Report brought out transition solutions meant for climate mathematics (STEM) jobs was low at
JANUARY–MARCH 2020 14 ENERGY FUTURE
