In the age of decreasing gender gaps in the workforce, the energy sector remains some of the less diverse industries for achieving equal workforce representation. For International Women's Day, let us look into female representation in the energy workforce by highlighting the current state of gender equality within the industry, barriers to female representation, and the international initiatives tackling these issues.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, women currently take up to 32 percent of the renewable energy sector workforce. While this number gives room for improvement, the renewable energy sector is the most diverse in the industry, as women occupy only 22 percent of the energy sector positions overall. Women in the industry are also more likely to hold low and middle administrative functions, and very few of them hold STEM positions or high managerial positions.

Women are also severely underrepresented in science related to the energy sector. The International Energy Agency reports that women are responsible for about 11 percent of patent applications related to the industry.

Underrepresentation of women in the energy sector does not benefit anyone and puts the industry at a disadvantage. Globally, women represent approximately 50 percent of the workforce, meaning that the industry does not have adequate access to about half of the world's talent. The energy sector is currently in the age of transition, moving to renewable energy sources and innovative solutions. This transition requires the participation of a more diverse talent pool. Tackling climate change, the most severe issue facing the industry in the 21st century, would also benefit from female participation.

There are plenty of contemporary studies that suggest that a diverse workforce and diverse board of directors improve the business's decision-making and performance. It is also beneficial for the energy companies to have a workforce and leaders representing the communities that they are a part of because this gives them a better outlook on the community and the opportunity to make more informed decisions on its behalf.

Luckily, the tight has been slightly shifting towards better representation. For instance, about 13 percent of the energy executive boards are currently held by women. This represents an improvement from 5 percent reported in 2014-2015. While this number is still critically low, policymakers and organizations' efforts to create change are visible. However, the energy sector still has a long road ahead of it to ensure equal opportunities. The pace of progress in the industry is still a subject of concern that needs to be addressed. However, luckily, there is enormous potential to give women opportunities in the energy sector, especially when it comes to a growing sector of renewables.

Barriers to Female Representation In The Energy Sector And The Ways to Solve Them

There are several barriers to female representation in the energy sector. Women face challenges at all stages of work, including recruitment, retention, promotion, and achieving leadership positions. 

At the stage of recruitment, challenges to female employment in the sector include lack of promotion of these positions to women, stereotypes about women and the industry, and lack of awareness about the positions that can be held in the energy sector. These issues can be addressed by creating more awareness about jobs in the industry sector and creating initiatives to give women equal access to education and internships. HR departments should have initiatives and strategies in place to recruit female talent.

The issues with retention stem from the fact that women are more likely to hold junior and middle positions in the industry. These types of positions are notorious for staff turnover, regardless of the industry. This problem can be solved by ensuring equal wages and companies having clear and guaranteed strategies and roadmaps to promote their employees. Social guarantees, such as childcare support, are also essential for keeping women at their energy sector jobs.

The barriers to leadership and promotion in the energy sector are usually the strongest of all. Women are severely underrepresented in leadership positions in the industrial sector, including executive positions and the board of directors' positions. 

Since this is a complex issue, it is also more challenging to solve than employment and retention issues. Complex strategies for gender diversity within the companies and gender quotas can help to address this issue. At the same time, the underrepresentation is still severe, even though quotas are a controversial measure not supported by everyone. Hiring women from outside the sector to fill managerial positions can help create a pool of talent suitable for executive positions in the energy sector. 

Creating targeted funding for female-led startups is another way to pave the way for female leaders in the energy field because even though many talented women have innovative ideas, access to appropriate funding remains a burden.

Ultimately, having more women in managerial positions results from consolidated efforts at all steps of involvement, from education and awareness-raising to promotional strategies. To achive success in the industry, women should be provided the mentorship and support that they deserve. Having more women in the industry would also allow them to access more networking. Networking allows women to share experiences, ideas and find contacts that would help them to progress in the industry.

Companies and governments should take initiatives to increase the representation of talented female leaders. Better leadership in the companies is the key that ensures female leaders will strive in the energy sector.

Initiatives to Increase Female Participation In The Energy Sector

Intergovernmental agencies and private initiatives in the countries against the world help to ensure that women are better represented in the energy sector. Some of the most successful examples are the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the UK-based initiative POWERful Women UK.

International Energy Agency (IEA)

The International Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organization that acts as the adviser to states on traditional and alternative energy policies. Currently, the organization has 30 member states, including the USA. Since 2019, the International Energy Agency has adopted a strategy on the energy sector's human capacity for the years to come. This strategy includes ensuring equal opportunities for the employment and success of men and women within the industry. IEA focuses on collecting data on gender participation within the industry sector across its members and creates policy recommendations that help governments improve gender participation in the energy sector. The International Energy Agency's work is critical for gender equality as they work directly with governments while most initiatives are focused on helping companies. 

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, IRENA is an intergovernmental organization with a premise similar to the International Energy Agency; however, it is exclusively focused on the growing field of renewable energy. The organization has 160 member states and the European Union. Most countries in the world are currently active IRENA members, which makes it an organization even more influential than the International Energy Agency.

Currently, IRENA helps achieve gender equality by collecting data and publishing annual reports on gender representation in the energy industry. Aside from the publications on the general state of gendered opportunities in the sector, IRENA also has separate reports about different renewable energy sectors, including wind and solar power. Likewise, IRENA provides consultations to its member states regarding policies to attract diverse talent into the industry.

POWERful Women UK

POWERful Women is a UK-based women-led initiative that helps women achieve promotion and seek leadership positions in the energy sector. The initiative aims to reach 40% of managerial positions and 30% board positions for women in the energy sector by the year 2030. The initiatives work with companies and help them create strategies to improve women's participation in the industry. They publish annual board statistics that reflect the situation in the industry.

POWERful Women UK also offers assistance to women by creating mentoring schemes that help them advance in their careers and giving them opportunities for networking, coaching, and sponsorships.

Finally, POWERful Women UK's work is focused on researching strategies to improve gender participation and the current state of gender representation in the energy sector.