Women’s Employment in RENEWABLE ENERGY in the JUNE East Asia and Pacific Region 2024 DATA AVAILABILITY, DATA GAPS, AND ENTRY POINTS FOR ENERGY OPERATIONS © 2024 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. 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Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This note was produced by Nicolina Angelou, Senior Energy and Gender Consultant, under the guidance of Sophia Georgieva, Senior Social Development Specialist, and Maria Manuela Faria, Social Development Specialist. Valuable comments and suggestions were provided by Giorgia Demarchi, Sama Khan, Nathyeli Acuna Castillo, Nicolas Jean Marie Sans, and Qingyuan Wang. Franklyn Ayensu edited the text, and Veronica Elena Gadea designed the report. The technical and financial support provided by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) for the preparation of this report is gratefully acknowledged. ESMAP is a partnership between the World Bank and over 20 partners to help low- and middle- income countries reduce poverty and boost growth through sustainable energy solutions. ESMAP’s analytical and advisory services are fully integrated within the World Bank’s country financing and policy dialogue in the energy sector. Through the World Bank (WB), ESMAP works to accelerate the energy transition required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. It helps to shape WB strategies and programs to achieve the WB Climate Change Action Plan targets. CONTENTS iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ix ABBREVIATIONS 02 INTRODUCTION 02 Background 03 Objective 03 Methodology 08 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY (RE) SECTOR 08 Measuring employment in the RE sector 14 Status of employment in the RE sector 24 EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR 24 1. Cultivating leadership commitment and setting targets 26 2. Increasing women’s access to STEM education and training 28 3. Addressing cultural norms, discrimination, and sexual harassment 30 4. Creating workplaces that promote women’s retention 32 5. Supporting women’s career advancement 33 6. Supporting female entrepreneurship in RE 35 CONCLUSIONS 36 REFERENCES FIGURES 09 Figure 1  Illustrative supply chains for various RE technologies in developing countries 12 Figure 2  Share of female employees in the energy sector in the European Union, 2011–2017 15 Figure 3  Worldwide employment in RE, by technology, 2022 16 Figure 4  Share of women in the global RE sector, 2018 17 Figure 5  Share of women in the wind energy sector globally and in Asia- Pacific, by role, 2019 TABLES 13 Table 1  Share of women employees in the US solar energy sector (2013– 2017) 18 Table 2  Women’s employment data in the East Asia region, by country 21 Table 3  Women’s employment data in the Pacific region, by country vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This note summarizes the available information on the level of female representation in the RE In the next few decades, the renewable energy sector in the EAP region, and highlights entry (RE) sector will create millions of jobs and diverse points through which World Bank energy projects opportunities along the energy value chain. To could help increase female representation in the meet this demand, it is critical that the share sector, particularly in technical and leadership of women in the sector increase, especially in positions. Alongside greenhouse gas emissions technical and leadership positions, to ensure that reduction and improved energy security, opportunities and benefits are equally distributed. employment in the RE sector is one of the most Yet information on gender equality in the energy important co-benefits of renewable energy sector, and even more so in the RE sector, adoption, and a key incentive for policymakers remains sparse. Data collection and analysis on to support renewable energy. Applying a gender the gender composition of the workforce form lens that aims to create equal opportunities for the first step to achieve a just energy transition men and women in the job market will support (IRENA Coalition for Action 2023). women’s empowerment and access to decent employment. The issue of achieving gender equality in the transition to green and sustainable energy has Data on employment in the RE sector, both been raised by many international organizations total and gender-disaggregated, are typically (ILO 2015; ILO 2022; IRENA 2019; Wang, Kim not available in standard national statistics. The and Banihani 2013; GGGI 2022; UN Women and International Labour Organization database, UNIDO 2023). The equitable representation ILOSTAT, compiles data from national labor force of women in green energy sectors is a matter surveys, but the International Standard Industrial of smart economics. It would ensure social Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) inclusion and make an important contribution used by ILOSTAT does not disaggregate data toward reaching the United Nations’ sustainable by energy generation technology. Instead, it development goals, particularly SDG 5: Gender bundles all primary energy sources of electricity Equality, and SDG 7: Clean and Affordable generation under the same code. To generate Energy. With the share of investments in “green total employment estimates in the RE sector, transition” projects increasing in the region, the International Energy Agency uses the it is necessary not only to assemble reliable, “employment factor approach,” based on the country-level evidence on the status of women’s installed capacity of each technology. But gender- involvement in growing green sectors of the disaggregated data cannot be estimated this way economy but also to analyze barriers to their because of insufficient data on the proportion of participation, gather lessons and entry points on women employed in each technology. interventions that would enable women to benefit from such investment, and measure progress and To address the paucity of gender-disaggregated results. data in the RE sector, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) conducts surveys Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region vii to gather data on female employment in RE that compellingly makes the business case for organizations at the global level. According increasing women’s employment, introducing to the 2018 survey, women represented 32 best practices, and highlighting examples of RE percent of the full-time employees of the 285 organizations in other countries and regions. RE organizations that responded from 144 A gender action plan (GAP) should be adopted countries. The sample size, however, does not and implemented, identifying actions required to allow for regional breakdown or country-level establish the right incentives and the necessary representation. In the EAP region, country-level support for women to enter the sector, along with data on RE employment are limited to a few case an appropriate working environment for them to studies, making trend analysis challenging. stay and thrive. Financial and human resources are critical to achieving the intended goals; As in the energy sector as a whole, as well that makes continuous, high-level support from as in other male-dominated infrastructure leadership critical. sectors, there are numerous entry points and opportunities for expanding the employment of 3. Increasing women’s access to STEM women in the RE sector. A range of measures education and training. Organizations can can be undertaken to attract more women partner with educational institutions to offer into the sector, improve their retention within opportunities for scholarships, internships, and organizations, and facilitate their advancement vocational apprenticeships with targets for to management roles. A number of enabling female participation in order to attract female conditions need to be in place for such measures talent and build a pipeline of future employees in to succeed, including setting targets, monitoring technical roles. Training local female technicians implementation progress, and obtaining the buy- in the production, installation, operation, and in of leadership to ensure adequate allocation of maintenance of RE systems is vital because resources. RE developers may struggle to find trained employees willing to work in rural or hard-to- To improve gender equality in the sector, RE reach areas. operations might focus on one or more of the following areas: 4. Addressing cultural norms, discrimination, and sexual harassment. A simple measure to 1. Collecting systematic and gender- promote gender equality in recruitment efforts is disaggregated data on employment in the to adopt inclusive language in job descriptions. renewables sector. Although there is growing Employers can demonstrate their commitment attention to the need to create employment in to gender equality by using communication RE, there are formidable data constraints (overall materials and public relations campaigns that as well as specific to women’s employment) on depict women as employees doing technical providing baseline data and tracking progress. work. Projects may also organize sector-wide Supporting the capacity of energy sector open houses, with activities welcoming girls on institutions and national statistics agencies to worksites to experience firsthand jobs done on collect and maintain such data will enable the the field. To reduce implicit bias, companies can formulation of a more evidence-based approach consider adopting gender-sensitive approaches to enhancing women’s employment in the sector. to evaluating candidates. Training on gender bias could be carried out in RE companies to 2. Ensuring leadership buy-in, identifying help management and employees recognize gender gaps, and setting targets. Leadership gender issues and biases, and address gender buy-in can be generated through gender training discrimination. RE employers should adopt anti- viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY sexual harassment policies and gender-based women-owned companies. Dedicated funds or violence prevention and response measures. credit lines to support RE companies could be established, with long repayment periods, small/ 5. Creating workplaces that promote women’s frequent installments, and the use of eligible RE retention. RE organizations could invest in equipment as collateral. Non-monetary solutions facilities and equipment that make it easier for such as equipment or raw material hand-downs women to build an inclusive work environment could be considered collateral. Training women in and thereby enhance their retention. To attract technical, financial, and leadership skills is crucial and retain the best talent, employers could offer to the success of female-owned businesses. flexible working arrangements, parental leave, and childcare services. Addressing gender wage disparities can help draw women into the RE sector. 6. Supporting women’s career advancement as part of inclusive leadership programs that involve both women and men. RE organizations could initiate mentorship programs in which senior executives commit to supporting high- potential women. Leadership training can prepare women to face the challenges that typically occur in male-dominated sectors. Female role models are essential for such initiatives. Equally important is to acknowledge and assert the view that promoting leadership opportunities for women is not a task for women alone and should include both male and female leaders. 7. Supporting female entrepreneurship in renewable energy. RE companies could leverage their purchasing policies to promote gender equality by increasing sourcing from women- owned businesses and gender-responsive companies, and by encouraging suppliers to focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Measures to support gender- responsive procurement range from inclusive language in tendering documents stating that women-owned businesses are encouraged to apply, to preferential scoring systems for ABBREVIATIONS Acronym Description ADB Asian Development Bank ASA Advisory Services and Analytics GBV gender-based violence GWNET Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition EAP East Asia and Pacific EIGE European Institute for Gender Equality EUROSTAT European Union statistical authority IEA International Energy Agency ILO International Labour Organization ILOSTAT ILO central portal for labor statistics IRENA International Renewable Energy Agency ISCO International Standard Classification of Occupation IREC Interstate Renewable Energy Council (in the United States) ISIC International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities LAC Latin America and the Caribbean LFS Labor Force Survey OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development O&M Operations and Maintenance PPA Pacific Power Association QCEW Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (United States) R&D Research and Development RE renewable energy SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SH sexual harassment SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs USAID United States Agency for International Development WEF World Economic Forum WING Women in Geothermal WIRE Women in Renewable Energy WoWE Women in Wind Energy WWF World Wildlife Fund INTRODUCTION Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 02 INTRODUCTION Background of social justice – it’s a sound economic decision (World Bank 2023a). This strategy draws on the observation that when women have equal In the next few decades, the renewable energy opportunities to participate in the workforce, (RE) sector will create millions of jobs and economies are more likely to thrive (IFC 2017). diverse opportunities along the energy value Increased female employment raises productivity, chain. To meet this demand, it is critical that the creativity, and innovation, which in turn boost share of women in the sector increase, especially overall economic growth. Additionally, studies in technical and leadership positions, to ensure consistently demonstrate that companies with that opportunities and benefits are equally diverse leadership teams, including a higher distributed. Greater female participation would representation of women, tend to make more bring other benefits as well: a wider talent pool to informed and profitable decisions (CSRI 2012; address the looming skills gap, new perspectives, CSRI 2016; USAID 2018; Dickey 2019). Closing the and better performance and sustainability. gender gap in employment is not just the right Several recent studies suggest that companies thing to do—it is the smart thing to do for any with a more gender-diverse workforce are more country seeking to build a robust and sustainable successful, perform better financially, and can economy. be more innovative (Dixon-Fyle et al. 2020; EY Americas 2019; Catalyst 2020; USAID 2018; Ernst Women in the EAP region face barriers & Young 2015). that prevent them from entering the labor market, especially in technical and leadership Yet information on gender equality in the positions. In the EAP region, women’s labor force energy sector, and even more so in the RE participation, at 58.8 percent, is substantially sector, remains sparse. Although a recent lower than men’s, at 76.2 percent. This arises International Renewable Energy Agency from a combination of factors, including gaps (IRENA) report estimates the share of women in skills and education, and social norms within in the global RE workforce at just 32 percent households, society, and workplaces that create (IRENA 2019) —reflecting the fact that women barriers for women to participate in the labor face numerous entry barriers driven especially market or to advance in technical and leadership by cultural and social norms – regional- and roles (Orlando et al. 2018). As EAP countries strive country-level statistics for EAP are lacking, as is to propel the green and resilient transformation the case in other regions. For example, a 2022 of their industries, women may not fully benefit assessment of women’s employment in Türkiye’s from these new green employment opportunities geothermal energy sector has indicated that a unless the systemic barriers are addressed. majority of companies do not maintain gender- disaggregated data on their workforce (World Data collection and analysis on the gender Bank 2021a). composition of the workforce is important to achieve a just transition in the energy The World Bank’s 2024–2030 Gender Strategy sector (World Bank 2013). To address urgent urges the view that reducing gender gaps in environmental challenges such as climate employment is just smart economics. Reducing change, pollution, and declining biodiversity, gender gaps in employment isn’t simply a matter governments and societies must transition 03 INTRODUCTION their businesses and economies into greener, representation in the EAP region’s RE sector, more resilient, and climate-neutral versions of and highlights entry points through which World themselves. A just transition, among other things, Bank energy projects can contribute to increasing entails greening the economy in a way that is as female representation in the sector, particularly in fair and inclusive as possible for all stakeholders, technical and leadership positions. creating decent job opportunities, and leaving no one behind. But ensuring a just transition Methodology will require gaining a better understanding of the interventions needed to increase women’s This note is based on secondary data and representation in the energy sector, especially in research. It aims to synthesize available data on technical and leadership roles. women’s employment in renewables, specific to the EAP region, to provide an efficient frame of Objective reference for investments in the sector, and to consolidate recommendations and lessons on The objective of this note is to assess the entry points by which energy sector projects in available information on women’s employment the region can advance gender inclusion. The in the RE sector in the EAP region, and second, definitions and scope of this note are based to inform World Bank investments in RE in the on a review of reports of United Nations (UN) region on entry points and opportunities for agencies such as the International Renewable expanding the employment of women in the Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Energy sector. Alongside greenhouse gas reduction Agency (IEA), and the International Labour emissions and improved energy security, Organization (ILO). A literature review of areas employment in the RE sector is one of the most of interest (such as employment in the RE sector, important co-benefits of RE adoption and a women in Science, Technology, Engineering prime incentive for policymakers to support and Mathematics (STEM), gender equality in RE. The prospect of additional job creation can the energy sector, and so on) was carried out, help decision makers obtain traction with their including reports from the Asian Development constituents and generates socioeconomic Bank (ADB), ENERGIA, IRENA, the United States benefits. Additionally, the creation of green Agency for International Development (USAID), jobs in sustainable industries is a major policy and the World Bank, as well as academic articles objective that strongly complements countries’ from the publications website ScienceDirect. climate mitigation commitments and for that reason an accurate assessment of job creation Gathering secondary data on women’s in the RE sector is crucial for policymaking. employment in the RE sector proved particularly Applying a gender lens that aims to create equal challenging, especially at the country level. The job opportunities for men and women will help search started with an examination of the ILO empower women and support their access to datasets and IEA database: decent employment. This note summarizes the available information on the extent of female Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 04 • The ILO’s Global Gender Labor Gap are sourced from ILOSTAT. No datasets present website,1 and its Women at Work reports, employment data in the energy or RE sectors. track women’s position in labor markets and examine factors behind the trends, • The World Bank’s Gender Data Portal5 reports including occupational segregation. The data on the labor force participation rate (by source is the ILO’s Labor Force Survey (LFS) gender), as well as employment in agriculture, database, included in ILOSTAT databases.2 services, and industry (by gender), in almost ILO tracks employment by economic activity. every country. The data source is ILOSTAT. The most disaggregated level of economic • The Women Count initiative6 of UN Women activity pertaining to energy, according to the focuses on country-level data needed to International Standard Industrial Classification monitor the gender equality dimension of the of All Economic Activities (ISIC),3 is electric Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). power generation, transmission, and distribution (code 3510) under the D section • UN Gender Stats7 focus on the SDGs’ gender “Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning indicators. supply” within “Industry.” • The Gender Statistics Database of the • IEA’s Gender and Energy Data Explorer4 European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE),8 provides detailed data on gender gaps in the tracks total employment data by gender as energy sector in employment and wages, well as for certain specific industries. senior management, entrepreneurship, • EUROSTAT Gender Statistics9 tracks and innovation for about 30 high-income total employment rates and the gender countries. The energy sector includes three employment gap as well as the earnings gap. subcategories: “energy distribution and generation”; “important energy consumers”; • OECD Gender Data Portal10 tracks several employment indicators, covering member and “services/goods that are essential to countries and partner economies. fixed capital investment with implications for energy supply and use.” The data source is • The UN Department of Economic and Social the Organization for Economic Cooperation Affairs’ (DESA) Gender Statistics11 report on and Development (OECD) Directorate of women’s employment. Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS). • The Pacific Data Hub (PDH)12 includes gender- related publications and datasets in the Further, the study reviewed gender data portals region but none relates to employment in the of international organizations, featuring databases energy sector. of gender-disaggregated data, as listed below. Employment data presented by these datasets • The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index (WEF 2019) has a subindex on Economic Participation 1 https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/multimedia/maps-and-charts/enhanced/WCMS_458201/lang--en/index.htm. 2 https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/description-labour-force-statistics/. 3 https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/classification-economic-activities/. 4 https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/gender-and-energy-data-explorer. 5 https://genderdata.worldbank.org/. 6 https://data.unwomen.org/women-count. 7 https://gender-data-hub-2-undesa.hub.arcgis.com/ 8 https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs 9 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Gender_statistics#Health 10 https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/. 11 https://worlds-women-2020-data-undesa.hub.arcgis.com/. 12 https://pacificdata.org/. 05 INTRODUCTION and Opportunity that includes several the World Bank include a workforce module employment-related indicators, including and a gender module.15 The Enterprise Surveys the total labor force participation rate. It also are administered to a representative sample uses high-frequency data from LinkedIn in 22 of firms in the nonagricultural formal private countries that provide a snapshot of women’s economy, including the entire manufacturing representation in leadership in 2022, sector, the services sector, and the transportation reporting a rate of 20 percent for the energy and construction sectors. Surveys are stratified sector (WEF 2022). by business sector, which varies by country. At a minimum, the stratification distinguishes The above databases all contain employment between Manufacturing and Services firms. In data sourced from ILOSTAT that are derived larger economies, additional sectors are selected from national labor force surveys. Labor force for stratification. The energy sector is seldom surveys are part of national household surveys featured. conducted by countries, and are designed to generate official national statistics on the labor Additional initiatives based on surveys of energy force, employment trends, and several related sector organizations and companies have been indicators. ILOSTAT uses data derived from reviewed, as listed below: national labor surveys and processes the data to generate harmonized indicators based on ILO • Ernst & Young, in 2015, launched its Women international statistical standards. Such microdata in Power and Utilities Index, based on the are complemented with the annual ILOSTAT largest 200 global utilities by revenue (EY questionnaire for countries with limited data.13 Americas 2019). The index collects data on ILOSTAT contains statistics on employment by the number of men and women on each gender and by economic activity. In principle, utility’s board of directors and in senior employment data in the energy sector can be management teams, and ranks the utilities extracted from ISIC code 3510 “Electric power using a weighted index that favor women in generation, transmission and distribution;” in executive positions. practice, such data are not readily available. Only • The WePower network in South Asia16 IEA’s Gender and Energy Data Explorer reports conducted rapid baseline assessments for on such data for about 30 high-income countries. women engineers in the power sector in ILOSTAT data are also reported by occupation, eight countries, collecting data from over based on the International Standard Classification 100 power sector and academic institutions of Occupation (ISCO).14 through interviews of male and female power sector professionals and engineers (World Beyond national labor force surveys and ILO’s Bank 2020a). statistics, the Enterprise Surveys conducted by 13 https://ilostat.ilo.org/about/data-collection-and-production/. 14 https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/description-labour-force-statistics/. 15 https://www.enterprisesurveys.org/en/enterprisesurveys. 16 https://collaboration.worldbank.org/content/sites/collaboration-for-development/en/groups/the-wepowernetwork.html. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 06 • The Pacific Power Association’s (PPA) Gender Portal tracks female employment in its 25 member utilities.17 • IRENA’s surveys of RE organizations collect gender-disaggregated employment data and report global-level rates of women’s employment in renewable energy and across STEM jobs, non-STEM technical jobs, and administrative jobs (IRENA 2019). Several international organizations have urged the adoption of greater gender equality in energy, environmental, and climate change policies. For example, Advancing Gender in the Environment (AGENT)18 advocates gender equality in RE in multiple ways.19 Many organizations highlight the underrepresentation of women in decision- making roles in energy and RE sectors, but none are tracking women’s employment in those sectors. Finally, a search for employment data in the energy and RE sectors in EAP countries was conducted, including a review of reports of international and regional organizations such as USAID, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and ADB. In addition, the team used data from a portfolio review of documents of World Bank energy sector projects in the EAP region implemented over the last decade, including Project Appraisal Documents, and Implementation and Completion Reports. Relevant data from this portfolio review at the utility level also informed this note. 17 https://www.ppa.org.fj/gender-portal/ppa-gender-portal/. 18 https://genderandenvironment.org/agent/. 19 https://genderandenvironment.org/green/. STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 08 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY (RE) SECTOR This section discusses measurement approaches for women’s participation in numerous value and the data issues related to women’s chains. Many of the skills required to capitalize on employment in the RE sector, together with the such possibilities can be developed locally, and status of women’s employment in the sector women are well-positioned to lead and support worldwide and in the EAP region. the delivery of energy solutions because of their role as primary energy users in households Measuring employment in the and in their social networks, particularly in local communities where RE sources may be adopted RE sector (Cecelski 2000; Farhar 1998; Dutta, Kooijman and Cecelski 2017). Biofuels are the main RE source used for transportation, whereas biomass, solar, DEFINING AND DELIMITING THE RE SECTOR and geothermal energy are used for heating. RE In this note, RE is defined as “energy derived sources used for cooking include solid biomass,21 from natural sources that are replenished at a biogas, biofuels, and solar cookers. Women are higher rate than they are consumed.”20 There often actively engaged and employed in the are several sources of RE, including solar energy, improved cooking industry and its associated wind energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, value chains, defined next. ocean energy, and bioenergy. Other definitions of RE, such as clean energy or low-carbon emissions Alongside the wide range of services for sector, are also used in the literature. But which renewables are used—electricity, adopting such definitions could either increase or transportation, heating—one or more value decrease the number of technologies and value chains are associated with each RE source. A chains considered in any particular employment value chain includes all the activities necessary assessment. for the production, distribution, and consumption of energy. Every technology has a different RE is widely used in the electricity sector, but value chain, but for any given technology, the its role is also vital in the transportation and main segments include the manufacturing of heating sectors, including cooling and cooking equipment, construction and installation, and services. In the electricity sector, renewables operations and maintenance (O&M), along with are increasingly important in on-grid electricity a range of support services (figure 1). The extent generation and also power more and more mini- to which each input needed is integrated into grids and microgrids. Standalone solar solutions, the country’s economy (rather than imported) such as solar home systems and solar lanterns, determines the level of employment creation. play a large role in electricity access in remote areas. The decentralized nature of off-grid RE solutions provides immense opportunities 20 https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-renewable-energy. 21 Biomass-based cooking can be more or less clean depending on the cookstove used. The use of biomass for cooking is not discussed in this report due to the potential harmful impacts of burning biomass on the environment and women. 09 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR Figure 1  Illustrative supply chains for various RE technologies in developing countries Manufacture Phone and of PV panels Assembly Distribution Installation Maintenance SOLAR PV and sales and services battery and components charging Manufacture Construction Operation Power for of turbines Construction Construction SMALL AND of plant of grid and local MICRO HYDRO and other materials connection maintenance businesses components Raw materials Stove Distirbution Home and IMPROVED Stove Design restaurants (metal, clay) production and sales COOKSTOVES use Digester Construction Digester Home use Fertilizer use BIOGAS design materials construction of biogas in agriculture DIGESTERS (bricks, metal) Imported segments Mixed segments Domestic segments Downstream business Source: IRENA (2013) Note: PV = photovoltaic. MEASURING TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE RE Activities (ISIC),22 which is the international SECTOR reference classification of productive Data on total employment in the RE sector activities—for example, the manufacture of are typically not available in standard national electrical equipment—and the International statistics. The ILO, a leading source of labor Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), statistics, reports on employment indicators which refers to the kind of work performed by economic activity across all countries. ILO’s in a job, for example, Electrical Engineering database, ILOSTAT, compiles data from national Technicians. The main difficulty with using ISIC sources of employment, most often national labor to estimate employment in the RE sector is force surveys. The ILO encourages countries that the subsection “Electric power generation, to employ commonly used definitions and transmission and distribution” bundles all primary classifications to provide a shared framework energy sources of electricity generation into the for international comparability of, and reporting same code (code 3510) (Johnstone and Silva on, statistics. Labor statistics include two main 2020; IEA 2022). Thus, national statistical offices classifications: the International Standard that use ISIC cannot show disaggregated data by Industrial Classification of All Economic energy generation technology. 22 https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/classification-economic-activities/. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 10 Jobs in RE are difficult to quantify because of each technology, but are available only they span several economic sectors. Some are in a few countries. IEA and IRENA estimate in the primary sector (for example, bioenergy annually the number of RE jobs globally and feedstock). Others are in construction, utilities, in certain countries that are leaders in some or other industries, and yet others are in the type of RE, based on the installed capacity for service sector, including installation, maintenance, each technology (IRENA and ILO 2022). Direct sales and distribution, project management, and employment data provide information about the finance. In addition, jobs related to the expansion number of people working in manufacturing, of RE in the economy may be found in public construction, installation, fuels supply, O&M, administration, research and development (R&D), or the decommissioning of RE sites. The most and consulting (IRENA 2013). commonly used methodology to estimate direct employment in RE is the employment factor Data on employment in the RE sector are approach, which calculates the number of (full- estimated using the employment factor time equivalent) jobs per megawatt of installed approach based on the installed capacity capacity or megawatt-hour of energy generation. The RENEWABLE ENERGY sector has great potential for EMPLOYMENT worldwide 13.7 38.2 MILLION MILLION workers in 2022 by 2030 4.9 MILLION 3.6 MILLION 2.5 MILLION 1.4 MILLION 0.7 MILLION 0.6 MILLION Solar PV Bioenergy Hydropower Wind Solar Other heating/cooling CHINA accounts for TWO IN THREE jobs are based in Asia. 41% of the global total 11 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR WOMEN ARE UNDERREPRESENTED in the renewable energy sector in Asia-Pacific and globally, especially in technical and leadership positions RENEWABLE WIND SOLAR PV ENERGY Globally Globally Asia-Pacific Globally Asia-Pacific WORKFORCE 32% 21% 15% 40% 40% STEM JOBS 28% 14% 14% 32% 32% MANAGEMENT 28% 13% 10% 30% 30% SENIOR MANAGEMENT N/A 8% 6% 17% 17% Source: Survey of 285 organizations Source: Survey of 132 organizations in 71 countries Source: Survey of 294 organizations in 123 countries in 144 countries (2018 IRENA) (2019 IRENA) (2021 IRENA) By contrast, indirect employment includes all codification of industries and economic activities) those who work in the production of intermediary allow for the identification of the number of jobs inputs and in related services for assembling a associated with RE technologies (GGGI 2020). RE system. Indirect jobs include delivering raw or MEASURING WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE processed commodities, as well as financial and SECTOR other services. Measuring employment becomes more complex if indirect employment data are Gender-disaggregated employment data in included because additional segments of the the RE sector are generally difficult to obtain. value chain need to be considered along with ILOSTAT provides gender-disaggregated data support services. Such an assessment requires for indicators such as labor force participation, that the classification of employment (including and employment in economic sectors such as Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 12 agriculture, industry, and services.23 Gender- track employment in the RE sector separately. disaggregated employment data in the energy Moreover, gender-disaggregated data cannot sector are usually not readily available from the be estimated based on installed capacity and ILO database or national statistics, but could in the employment factor approach because principle be produced, based on the current ISIC the proportion of women employed in each (GGGI 2020) (figure 2). As mentioned above, technology is largely unknown. however, ILOSTAT and national statistics do not Figure 2  Share of female employees in the energy sector in the European Union, 2011–2017 50 40 SHARE OF FEMALE EMPLOYEES % 30 20 10 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Mining of coal and lignite Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products Water collection, treatment and supply Mining of metal ores Manufacture of computer, eletrical and optical equipment Electricity, gas, steam and AC supply Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas Manufacture of electrical equipment Total EU economy Manufacture of chemecals and chemical products Source: IEA (2020) To measure employment in the RE sector, in the energy sector. Such development national statistical offices would need to modify necessitates human and financial resources national surveys to break down RE technologies to manipulate additional data. International 23 https://databank.worldbank.org/source/gender-statistics. 13 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR frameworks, such as the Beijing Declaration generation (including renewable sources).24 In and Platform for Action or the Sustainable the 2022 edition of the Energy and Employment Development Goals, do not call for gender- Report, 33,000 businesses participated in the disaggregation of data in the RE sector. Thus, survey, providing 7,500 full responses (US DOE national statistical offices have little incentive to 2022). Women represented 25 percent of the improve their existing data collection methods. energy workforce (2021 survey). The share of the The lack of readily available data on women’s female workforce is provided for each energy participation in the RE sector is driven by the source in electricity generation (including RE limitations of existing data collection tools and sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, and poor awareness in national agencies of the value bioenergy) and each fuel (including RE sources of tracking such data (GGGI 2020). such as corn, ethanol, other biofuels, and woody biomass), as well as in transmission, distribution, The United States tracks gender-disaggregated and storage workforce. No data was gathered by employment data in energy and RE through type or level of position (for example, technical, national statistics using a different classification managerial, and so on). The Interstate Renewable system, along with enterprise surveys. In the Energy Council (IREC) publishes annually United States, employment data in the energy the National Solar Jobs Census, reviewing sector are gathered by the U.S. Department employment in the U.S. solar energy industry of Energy and rely on two sources: primary nationwide and by state, and analyzing solar data collected through surveys, and secondary labor market trends in the country. The report data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor’s Statistics disaggregates employment data by gender and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages category of jobs (table 1). In 2021, women made (QCEW). The U.S. Census uses the North up just under 30 percent of the solar energy American Industry Classification System, which employees and represented 26 percent of includes codes for every source of electricity management staff (IREC 2022). Table 1  Share of women employees in the US solar energy sector (2013–2017) Women as a share of: Solar jobs Sales and Project Total solar held by All solar Manufacturing distribution development jobs women workers Installers workers workers staff Other Year (thousands) (percent) 2013 142.7 26.7 18.7 14.8 22.4 18.6 19.6 n/a 2014 173.8 37.5 21.6 17.7 24.4 24.0 24.2 43.7 2015 208.9 49.8 23.9 21.1 28.5 23.5 24.9 38.9 2016 260.1 72.8 28.0 25.2 30.9 33.8 25.3 37.7 2017 250.3 67.3 26.9 24.7 29.5 32.9 25.1 35.4 Source: IRENA (2019) Gender-disaggregated headcount data may be always systematically track such data. The analyzed from internal human resource records profile of RE companies may also influence their of RE companies, yet even companies do not propensity to maintain gender-disaggregated 24 https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=22&chart=2022. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 14 records on employment. The assessment of Status of employment in the women’s employment in the geothermal energy sector in Türkiye referenced above showed RE sector that of the 18 companies surveyed, only one (a multinational company) maintained gender- TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE RE SECTOR disaggregated data on the workforce, while the WORLDWIDE majority (smaller, mostly family-owned companies that had transitioned from other industries to the IRENA in collaboration with ILO tracks annually geothermal sector) did not (World Bank 2021a). the number of people employed, directly or indirectly, in the RE sector. In 2022, this number reached 13.7 million (IRENA and ILO 2023), with the solar photovoltaic subsector accounting for Employment estimates in RENEWABLE ENERGY come from DATA SOURCES that do not track the employment of women systematically National labor force surveys do not track women’s employment in renewable IEA estimates are based on the energy because ILOSTAT BUNDLES ALL INSTALLED CAPACITY OF EACH SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY into the TECHNOLOGY that do not estimate the same code share of female employment IRENA conducts AD HOC SURVEYS of The US COMBINES NATIONAL LABOR 100 to 300 organizations worldwide FORCE SURVEYS with Renewable Energy COMPANY SURVEYS 15 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR over one third of these jobs (4.9 million), followed two in three jobs are based in Asia, with China by bioenergy (3.6 million)25, hydropower (2.5 accounting for 41 percent of the global total. million), wind energy (1.4 million), solar heating/ IRENA estimates the number of jobs in the RE cooling (0.7 million) and the remaining sources sector to grow to 38.2 million in 2030 (and jobs in accounting for 0.6 million (figure 3).26 Close to the whole energy sector to 139 million). Figure 3  Worldwide employment in RE, by technology, 2022 Solar photovoltaic 4,902,000 Bioenergy 2,490,000 Hydropower 2,485,000 Wind energy 1,400,000 Solid biomass 779,000 Solar heating/ cooling 712,000 Biogas 309,000 Heat pumps 241,000 Geothermal energy 152,000 Concentrated solar power 80,000 Municipal and industrial waste 27,000 Tide, wave and ocean energy 1,000 Other 149,000 Number of jobs Source: IRENA and ILO (2023) WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RE SECTOR in the wind energy sector at 25 percent (IRENA WORLDWIDE 2013). In the EU, the share of women in the wind Despite the poor availability of gender- energy sector was estimated to be 22 percent disaggregated employment data in the RE in 2008 (Blanco and Rodrigues 2009). In Spain, sector, the available data confirm significant a study by the labor union organization reported imbalances resulting from gender inequalities. that women represented 27 percent of the RE In the US, a 2013 report estimated that women workforce of the country in 2008 (Arregui et al. represented less than 30 percent of jobs in 2010). Most studies confirm that women tend the green economy (Hegewisch et al. 2013). A to be employed in lower-paid, non-technical, 2011 survey by Women in Wind Energy (WoWE) administrative, and public relations positions reported the female share of full-time employees 25 Includes liquid biofuels, solid biomass, and biogas. 26 Other sources include geothermal power, concentrated solar power, heat pumps, municipal and industrial waste, and ocean energy. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 16 more so than in technical, managerial, or policy- respondents), as participation was low in China, making positions (IRENA 2013). even though the country is a large actor in the sector. To address the paucity of gender-disaggregated data in the RE sector, IRENA started conducting According to IRENA’s 2018 survey, women surveys to gather data on female employment represented 32 percent of the full-time in RE organizations at the global level. employees of responding RE organizations IRENA’s initial survey in 2016 was based on 90 (IRENA 2019) — higher than the 22 percent participating companies from over 40 countries average of the global oil and gas industry,27 but and indicated that women represented about 35 lower than the 48.5 percent share of women’s percent of the workforce in the RE sector. In 2018, participation in the global workforce ILO 2018). IRENA conducted a global online survey including Women’s representation in STEM jobs in the 285 organizations in RE in 144 countries. energy sector was lower at 28 percent, whereas Participation in the survey was voluntary. in non-STEM technical jobs28 the share reached Organizations were evenly distributed across 35 percent, and in administration jobs, 45 percent regions, although the Asia-Pacific region was (figure 4). underrepresented (26 percent of organizational Figure 4  Share of women in the global RE sector, 2018 32% average global share STEM jobs 28% TYPE OF RE SECTOR JOB Non-STEM technical jobs 35% Administrative jobs 45% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Share of female employees Source: IRENA (2019) In 2019, IRENA launched a similar survey focusing 2020). About 23 percent of the organizations that on the wind energy industry. Data were gathered participated in this survey were in Asia-Pacific; from 132 organizations in 71 countries (IRENA 31 percent had more than 1,000 employees. The 27 According to a 2017 study by the World Petroleum Council and Boston Consulting Group (Rick, Martén and Von Lonski 2017). 28 For example, lawyers. 17 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR survey found that, globally, women represented were less likely to hold STEM jobs and leadership 21 percent of the wind energy sector workforce. positions, and more likely to hold administration In Asia-Pacific, the share was 15 percent. Globally, roles. These gender-based variations were less women were underrepresented in all roles. They pronounced in Asia-Pacific (figure 5). Figure 5  Share of women in the wind energy sector globally and in Asia-Pacific, by role, 2019 Asia-Pacific Senior management 21% average global 6% 8% share Management 10% SHARE OF WOMEN % 13% STEM 14% 14% Non-STEM 20% 11% Administration 41% 35% 12% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Share of female employees Source: IRENA (2020) In 2021, IRENA conducted a survey in the solar management (17 percent). Similar trends were PV sector that included 294 organizations in 123 found in Asia-Pacific. countries (IRENA 2022). About 26 percent of the organizations were in Asia-Pacific, and 40 percent The Energy Sector Management Assistance of organizations had under 20 employees. Program (ESMAP) surveyed 65 hydropower IRENA’s analysis found that, both globally and in companies in 2020-2021. Survey results show Asia-Pacific, the share of women working full-time that women represented 25 percent of the in the solar PV industry was 40 percent. Globally, workforce in the sector (ESMAP 2023). About 21 women were overrepresented in administration percent of the women employed in hydropower roles (58 percent), but less well represented in companies are in technical and engineering non-STEM jobs29 (38 percent), other non-technical roles, while the remaining 79 percent hold jobs30 (35 percent), STEM jobs (32 percent), non-technical positions, such as administrative, management positions (30 percent), and senior commercial, sales, marketing, human resources, and finance. 29 Non-STEM jobs refer to high-level qualifications in non-STEM fields, such as lawyers. 30 Non-technical jobs are jobs with lower formal skills, such as construction. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 18 WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RE SECTOR In the Lower Mekong countries (Cambodia, IN THE EAP REGION Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam), the public In the EAP region, the female labor force energy sector is dominated by men, especially participation rate is 59 percent, compared to in executive and management-level positions 74 percent for men.31 Among the Pacific island (Resurreccion and Boyland 2017). The share of countries,32 the gender gap is slightly wider—54 women, nonetheless, is increasing. Women tend percent for women versus 77 percent for men. to be concentrated in the financial, administrative, There are no official statistics on employment in human resources (HR), and marketing units of the energy sector (or the RE sector) in countries energy organizations. In the private sector, a few in the region. Data on RE employment are prominent companies in the RE sector are led by typically scarce, and gender-disaggregated data women, usually highly educated and from wealthy even more so. Information is limited to a few families (Resurreccion and Boyland 2017). These case studies, making trend analysis challenging. firms were initially construction and appliance Nonetheless, what data are available—mostly firms before diversifying into RE such as solar at the entity level, for example, a utility or the energy and small hydropower. national energy office—reveal an overall picture of gender inequality in RE jobs. Case-specific data on women’s employment in the sector in the East Asia region (table 2) and in the Pacific region (table 3) are gathered and listed below by country. Table 2  Women’s employment data in the East Asia region, by country Country Country-level data Energy sector data RE sector data • Producers and • Female labor force entrepreneurs in participation rate: 70% improved clean-energy Cambodia versus 82% for men1 N/A cookstoves and • Female share of STEM charcoal production are graduates: 17%2 mostly women3 • Female labor force China participation rate: 61% N/A N/A versus 73% for men1 • Women in the energy workforce: 12%5 • Female staff in Upper • Female staff of PLN (Perusahaan Cisokan Pumped • Female labor force Listrik Negara), or State Electricity Storage PIU: 41% (7 participation rate: 53% Company: 19% (7% of technical staff)5 women)5 Indonesia versus 81% for men1 • Women in decision-making positions • Female staff in 12 • Female share of STEM in the energy sector: 5%6 geothermal developers: graduates: 37%4 • Women energy auditors: 5% (51 out 14% (202 women) of 1,128)6 (1% in technical and • Women energy managers: 3% (34 managerial positions)7 women)6 31 World Development Indicators (WDI) 2022. 32 The following Pacific island countries are included in the World Development Indicators: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. 19 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR Country Country-level data Energy sector data RE sector data • Female labor force participation rate: 55% Korea versus 73% for men1 N/A N/A • Female share of STEM graduates: 25%8 • Female labor force participation rate: 55% Lao PDR versus 62% for men1 N/A N/A • Female share of STEM graduates: 29%4 • Female labor force participation rate: 53% Malaysia versus 79% for men1 N/A N/A • Female share of STEM graduates: 34%4 • Women in the energy workforce: 25%9 • Female employees in the Ministry of Energy: 45% (10% of executives)10 • Female employees in the Ulaanbaatar Heating Network: 29%11 • Women in the Ulaanbaatar District Heating Company (UBDHC): 17% of technical staff at mid-management • Female labor force levels12 participation rate: 52% • Women in the Ulaanbaatar District Mongolia versus 67% for men1 N/A Heating Company (UBDHC): 31% • Female share of STEM of technical staff at the senior graduates: 34%4 management level12 • Women in the Ulaanbaatar District Heating Company (UBDHC): 21% of technical staff at the junior level12 • Female employees in the National Power Transmission Grid (NPTG): 4%13 • Female employees in the National Dispatching Center (NDC): 34%13 Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 20 Country Country-level data Energy sector data RE sector data • Women in the solar sector workforce: between 25% and 50% (mainly employed in design and planning, and sales and • Female labor force marketing)16 participation rate: 45% • Solar developers • Women in the energy workforce: Myanmar versus 76% for men14 headed by women 28%15 • Female share of STEM or with women in graduates: 61%4 management: Earth Renewable Energy Co. Ltd.; Myanmar Solar Power Trading Co. Ltd.; Talent and Technology Co. Ltd.; Techno-Hill Engineering Co. Ltd.17 • Female labor force Papua New participation rate: 46% N/A N/A Guinea versus 48% for men1 • Female labor force participation rate: 46% • Women in the workforce of versus 71% for men1 the electricity, gas, STEM, air • Female share of STEM Philippines conditioning supply, water supply, N/A graduates: 36%18 sewerage, and waste management • Female share of sectors: 20%19 engineering graduates: 24%18 • Female labor force participation rate: 63% Singapore versus 77% for men1 N/A N/A • Female share of STEM graduates: 34%1 • Female executives in • Female labor force DEDE22: 12% (2 out of participation rate: 59% 17)3 Thailand versus 75% for men1 • Female staff in EGAT21: 23%3 • Several female-run RE • Female share of STEM enterprises, particularly graduates: 30%20 solar3 • Female labor force Timor- participation rate: 61% N/A N/A Leste versus 72% for men1 • Among 20 local • Female labor force developers in wind participation rate: 69% • Women in electricity, gas, steam, and energy and 15 Vietnam versus 78% for men1 hot water supply: 18%23 local solar energy • Female share of STEM developers, a few are graduates: 37%20 led by women3 Notes: 1World Development Indicators (2022); 2World Development Indicators (2015); 3Resurreccion and Boyland (2017); 4World Development Indicators (2018); 5World Bank (2021b); 6Dewanti (2022); 7World Bank (2019); 8World Development Indicators (2017); 9 ADB (2022); 102020 HR gender questionnaire administered to the Ministry of Energy by the World Bank energy team; 112020 HR gender questionnaire administered to the Ulaanbaatar Heating Network by the World Bank energy team; 12World Bank (2020b); 13ADB (2020); 14World Development Indicators (2020); 15Based on IFC’s Powered by Women initiative research on 10 energy companies, in USAID (2021); 16Based on interviews with firms active in the sector, in USAID (2021); 17Pearce (2020); 18Belghith, Lavin, and Lapalombara (2021); 19ADB (2013); 20World Development Indicators (2016); 21Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand; 22Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency in the Ministry of Energy; 232014 data in UN Women (2016). 21 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR Table 3  Women’s employment data in the Pacific region, by country Country Country-level data Energy sector data RE sector data • Women in national energy • Female labor force participation office: 9%2 Fiji N/A rate: 38% versus 75% for men1 • Women in the electricity utility: 13%2 • Women in national energy office: 27%2 Kiribati N/A N/A • Women in the electricity utility: 23%2 • Women in the electricity utility CPUC: 12% (10 out of 80)3 Micronesia N/A N/A • Women in the electricity utility PUC: 6% (10 out of 156)3 • Women in national energy office: 17%2 • Women in the electricity utility Marshall Islands N/A N/A MEC: 9%2 • Women in the electricity utility KAJUR: 12%2 Palau N/A N/A N/A • Female labor force participation • Women in the electricity utility: Samoa N/A rate: 41% versus 66% for men1 18%2 • Women in national energy office: 22%2 Solomon • Female labor force participation • Women in the electricity utility: N/A Islands rate: 82% versus 85% for men1 16%2 • Women in Solomon Power: 21% (6% in technical positions)4 • Female labor force participation Tonga N/A N/A rate: 42% versus 65% for men1 • Women in national energy office: 25%2 Tuvalu N/A N/A • Women in the electricity utility: 5%2 • Female labor force participation Vanuatu N/A N/A rate: 69% versus 78% for men1 Notes: 1World Development Indicators (2022); 2Matte (2020); 3World Bank (2018a); 4World Bank (2018b). Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 22 In 2018, the Pacific Power Association (PPA) (Rakuita 2022). Although they represent only 12 launched a gender portal that tracks female and 15 percent of management and technical employment in its 25 member utilities.33 In 2020, positions, they make up 51 percent of the the share of women in the total staff was 20 administrative and support staff. percent (among 5,126 employees). Female technical staff accounted for 5 percent (among 2,630 technicians) and female management staff accounted for 26 percent (among 141 employees) (PPA 2021). The Secretariat of the Pacific Community stated in 2022 that women make up 22 percent of the total number of staff, according to data collected from the National Energy Offices In Asia, INDICATIVE DATA ON WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT in Renewable Energy is available for a few countries THAILAND 12% of female executives in the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency in the Ministry of MYANMAR Energy (2017) 5 solar developers headed or managed by women (2020) INDONESIA 14% of female staff in geothermal – 1% in technical and managerial positions (2019) 33 https://www.ppa.org.fj/gender-portal/ppa-gender-portal. EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 24 EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR This section presents actions that renewable employment retention; (v) supporting women’s energy (RE) organizations and projects can career advancement; and (vi) supporting female use to expand opportunities for women in the entrepreneurship in RE. There are several sector, particularly in technical and leadership toolkits available to help practitioners develop positions, with the aim of improving attraction and implement measures to increase female and recruitment to the sector, retention within representation in renewable energy, including organizations, and advancement to management ESMAP’s recent Women’s Employment in Energy roles. Sector Utilities Toolkit.35 These tools are also applicable to other sectors. As the present note demonstrates, there are persistent gaps in the data on women’s 1. Cultivating leadership employment in RE operations. Investment in better data collection at the country and company commitment and setting levels is therefore an important prerequisite to targets constructing a reliable baseline showing evidence of continuous progress in gender equality in Eliciting leadership buy-in. RE organizations the sector. Testing and developing consistent could undertake a wide range of actions to enterprise survey models and databases will lower the entry barriers for women and increase help ensure comparability and better sharing of female representation in the sector. Obtaining lessons and good practices throughout the region the sustained support of senior management and globally. Such a database, including gender- is crucial to the success of such actions. RE related indicators, has already been initiated companies need to grasp the far-reaching by the ESMAP Gender and Energy program.34 implications and importance of gender equality Individual enterprise surveys are also supported in the workforce. Buy-in is essential for leading by ESMAP-funded regional initiatives. companies through reform, allocating appropriate resources, and encouraging staff to support In addition to addressing data gaps, EAP energy gender inclusion. Top management must projects and investments in the region can demonstrate ownership and strong personal proactively contribute to improving gender commitment to gender equality, and explicitly equality indicators in their respective countries. acknowledge the need to maintain zero tolerance The present section outlines key entry points of gender-based harassment and violence. (areas for investment) through which energy During RE project preparation, donors, financiers, operations could pursue such objectives. The and NGOs, as well as relevant state organizations, entry points are structured around six themes: could help raise awareness among energy sector (i) eliciting leadership commitment and target counterparts and strengthen the commitment setting; (ii) increasing women’s access to STEM of senior management by providing gender education and training; (iii) addressing cultural sensitivity training that makes the business norms, discrimination and sexual harassment; case for increasing women’s employment, (iv) creating workplaces that promote women’s 34 ESMAP Gender and Energy Indicators https://energydata.info/dataset/esmap-gender-and-energy-indicators. 35 https://www.esmap.org/gender-and-energy-toolkit. 25 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR introducing best practices, and highlighting To this end, quantitative and qualitative data examples of model RE organizations in other collection disaggregated by gender is essential countries and regions. IFC’s Women on Boards to set a baseline but also to track progress and in Business Leadership (WBBL) program toward selected goals in the recruitment, promotes the business case for increased female retention, and advancement of women within representation in boardrooms and in senior an organization. The action plan could be management positions. The program has three developed with the help of external experts and pillars: training and capacity building of female specialized organizations. Local consultants or (and male) executives; knowledge generation and international consultancy firms could be hired to thought leadership; and gender mainstreaming in conduct a gender assessment and develop the operations. It also includes environmental, social, GAP in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, and governance (ESG) considerations to promote such as HR units of companies involved in RE economic growth and the sustainability of the interventions. Appointing gender focal points in companies (IFC 2024). the project implementation unit (PIU) and in its counterparts is an excellent practice: it enhances Identifying gender gaps and setting targets. communication, promotes data collection Assuming leadership buy-in has been secured, and tracking, and creates consistent, ongoing a gender assessment is a necessary next supervision of gender activities that propels their step, preferably during project preparation, to implementation. The sustained support of senior understand the status of female representation in management is essential throughout the process the entities involved, and to identify the barriers of identifying gaps and setting targets because women face in entering or remaining in the an adequate budget and resources are needed sector. Several tools are available for conducting to develop the GAP and subsequently implement gender workforce audits. For example, the it, as discussed below. World Bank/ESMAP Power Sector Questionnaire on Human Resources, Training, and Gender Allocating resources to achieve gender targets. Practices can be used as a baseline survey Closing gender gaps requires time commitment, to assess gender equality in a company.36 A persistence, and substantial financial and human gender action plan (GAP) should be adopted resources. It is important that RE projects allocate to identify the actions required to establish the the necessary funds for implementing gender- right incentives for women to enter the sector, related actions. Some interventions, such as the support they will need once there, and an training, may be funded and run by NGOs and appropriate working environment for them to stay other development organizations. Scholarships and thrive. Such a gender action plan would also for female students or internships for female help establish adequate targets and monitoring graduates may also be funded through grants. mechanisms. Hiring gender experts and gender focal points within RE organizations and at the project level is also fundamental to ensuring timely 36 https://www.esmap.org/multimedia/power-sector-questionnaire-human-resources-training-and-gender-practices. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 26 implementation of the activities and tracking 2. Increasing women’s access progress toward targets. to STEM education and Adopting a gender equality framework and training pursuing gender certification. RE organizations can assess their performance and report Attracting women into STEM fields. Increasing progress toward their gender equality goals the exposure of young girls and women to STEM through a gender certification process such as fields through targeted information campaigns the EDGE (Equity, Diversity, and Gender Equality) in schools and universities can help build a Certification,37 or the United Nations Development pipeline of future female employees in technical Programme (UNDP) Gender Equality Seal.38 Such roles. To attract female talent, organizations certification requires about 10 days of data should consider partnering with educational collection work and can be obtained in two to institutions to offer opportunities for scholarships, three months. Subscribing to such tools may internships, and vocational apprenticeships with help companies accelerate the rate at which specified targets for female participation. Along they can attract talent and meet their targets for the same lines, companies might also influence women’s employment. Similar to the International the curricula of such educational institutions by Standards Organization (ISO) certification, gender providing them with real-world feedback about certification can be a signal to prospective the knowledge and skills students need to get employees, clients, and investors and an indicator hired. of commitment to ESG. It is, nonetheless, important to note that merely obtaining the For example, in Lao PDR, GE Hydro, in certification does not, in and of itself, ensure collaboration with the Utility Electricité du Laos an equitable work environment. The process (EDL), launched a training program in 2016 needs to be accompanied by the promotion to attract and develop the next generation and enforcement of robust policies designed to of hydropower engineers.39 In Indonesia, achieve the goals of the certification process, the Geothermal Resource Risk Mitigation especially preventing sexual harassment, Project (GREM) plans to fund a vocational safeguarding working spaces, and providing training program for young women and men inclusive training and leadership opportunities. at geothermal sites. In the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, such programs targeting women are gaining traction. In Saint Lucia, the Renewable Energy Sector Development Project is offering women educational training and employment opportunities in electrical and mechanical engineering, preparing them to obtain technical jobs in the energy sector. In collaboration with Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), a public community college, the project has begun to offer an annual scholarship specifically to women to pursue electrical or mechanical engineering degrees, together with a 37 https://edge-cert.org/. 38 https://www.undp.org/jordan/gender-equality-seal. 39 https://www.ge.com/news/reports/stem-laos-women-eye-welding-engineering-jobs-hydropower-sector. 27 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR 3- to 9-month apprenticeship program. To support producer in India. Through DESI_MANTRA, such graduating students in their job search, its management training center, the company outreach programs, and information campaigns decided to train not only locally-based men but are planned in secondary schools, along with also locally-based women for management jobs, annual job fairs. on the well-reasoned assumption that women would be less likely to migrate once trained.42 Soleco Energy,40 a solar energy developer in the Caribbean, was incentivized through In Haiti, mini-grid developer EarthSpark trains a progressive interest rate reduction to offer and employs local women during construction. an internship to female STEM students and to EarthSpark’s microgrid “ambassadors” are increase female participation in the construction exclusively women. Their role is to promote of projects funded by the private sector arm of the mini-grid services, liaise with clients, and the Inter-American Development Bank Group troubleshoot grid problems.43 The Solomon “IDB Invest” (Robberechts and Serrano 2022). Islands Electricity Access and Renewable Energy Soleco also passed on a set of gender-related Expansion Project plans to design and implement requirements to its engineering, procurement a program employing rural women in the and construction (EPC) and O&M contractors. RE maintenance of solar panels and sites. Hands-on projects could partner with organizations such practical skills can be provided to local women, as The Asia Foundation, which runs university as demonstrated by the Barefoot College, where scholarship programs for girls and young women uneducated village women—known as “solar (for example, in Vietnam) (The Asia Foundation grandmothers”—receive six months of hands-on n.d.), or initiatives such as BUILT-IT in Vietnam, training in the installation and maintenance of which offers scholarships to female students solar systems.44 earning engineering and technical degrees.41 It has been shown that collaborating with job Training local female technicians. In building training and education programs can improve local capacity for the production, installation, efficiency and results. For example, the Solomon operation, and maintenance of RE systems, Islands Electricity Access and Renewable Energy placing an emphasis on women is essential Expansion Project is considering partnering with because RE developers may struggle to find the Community Access and Urban Enhancement trained employees who are willing to relocate Project (CAUSE), which provides job training, to rural areas, and may also struggle to keep employment, and short-term income to workers well-trained young men from migrating out of building essential community infrastructure (World rural villages in search of city jobs. This was the Bank 2023b). Training is most effective when it case for DESI Power, an independent rural power is tailored to take cultural values into account, 40 https://www.soleco-energy.com/about. 41 https://fullcircle.asu.edu/outreach/build-vietnam-conference-inspires-women-pursue-stem-careers. 42 http://www.desipower.com/Activities.aspx. 43 http://www.earthsparkinternational.org/feminist-electrification.html. 44 https://www.barefootcollege.org/solution/solar/. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 28 engages closely related stakeholders such as in West Africa states that “PEG is an equal the trainee-woman’s relatives, her husband, or opportunity employer committed to diversity. All community leaders, and puts in place a range of qualified candidates regardless of age, gender, safety precautions. ethnicity, race, and religion are encouraged to apply” (Power Africa 2019). Including this Participation and effectiveness are also enhanced statement demonstrates PEG’s commitment to when female trainees are provided with basic fostering diversity within the company. conveniences such as transportation, childcare services, or programs that do not conflict with There is a growing body of evidence their household responsibilities. For example, showing that job advertisements and job a solar training program in Malawi was able to descriptions, consciously or unconsciously, promote women’s involvement by redesigning its often use aggressive-sounding, gender-biased 3- to 4-month, full-time curriculum into a 16-month, phrases typically associated with masculine part-time program structured around just 2 days characteristics. An example would be a “dominant per week and 3 hours each day.45 In Myanmar, the firm” that “boasts a superior track record” and “Women in Power” program of the World Wildlife “consistently challenges the status quo and our Fund (WWF), in cooperation with the Barefoot competition,” looking for a “driven individual” College, trains rural women to obtain technician with “strong leadership qualities” and “a decisive jobs in the mini-grid sector (Wordley n.d.). The analytical mind” who can “aggressively pursue program covers scholarships and financial aid set targets” in a “high-pressure, competitive to overcome financial barriers and encourage work environment.” In the brief example above, women’s participation, and uses training methods 13 words—boasts, dominant, challenges, that are accessible to women with limited formal competition, driven, strong, leadership, decisive, education.46 Companies might also consider analytical, aggressively, pursue, high-pressure, conducting trainings for groups composed and competitive—all come across as gender- exclusively of women because, in some contexts, biased in a way that frequently sounds harsh women can feel intimidated in trainings attended or intimidating to women and discourages predominantly by male coworkers and therefore many of them from applying to positions they be discouraged from participating. may be qualified for. But many predominantly male organizations, especially in the science, 3. Addressing cultural norms, engineering, and technology sectors, are so used to this language that they do not recognize the discrimination, and sexual bias inherent in their everyday vocabulary. The harassment thinking is that women, if they want to succeed, should simply try to be more like men. Promoting gender equality in hiring policies. A By contrast, gender-inclusive job postings simple measure to promote gender equality in use terms that resonate with both men and recruiting is to adopt inclusive language in job women; and postings that aim to attract more descriptions. Including a statement that “women women candidates should go a step further are encouraged to apply” can convey a strong than that and use feminine-coded words that message to potential candidates and significantly are more stereotypically associated with female increase female applications. For example, a attributes. Some examples might be “committed,” pay-as-you-go solar off-grid provider operating 45 https://www.stepmalawi.com/2017/09/19/the-skills-and-technical-education-programme-supports-the-training-of-rural-women-in-solar-pv- installation-training/ 46 https://www.barefootcollege.org/solution/solar/. 29 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR “supportive,” and “feel/feeling.” A posting Day events. Companies can also require support that, for example, looks for candidates who to adopt gender-sensitive approaches for excel at “understanding context” and “sharing evaluating candidates to reduce unconscious or responsibility” in “collaborative team settings,” implicit bias, including interview panels and hiring who have experience “connecting interpersonally committees that are more diverse and gender- with” both clients and colleagues, can “engender balanced, requiring gender-balanced long lists, trust in their subordinates,” and “feel they can and using structured interviews and standardized contribute” to the organization’s “common scoring methods that help to eliminate bias goals,” will likely appeal much more strongly to (Schomer and Hammond 2020). women applicants than the preceding sample job posting (Gaucher, Friesen, and Key 2011; Catalyst Training to address discrimination in the 2015). In this example, 11 words—understanding, workplace. Training on gender bias could be sharing, responsibility, collaborative, connecting, carried out in RE companies to help management interpersonally, engender, trust, feel, contribute, and employees recognize gender issues and and common—come across as either feminine- biases and address gender discrimination. coded or gender-inclusive. Tackling bias and creating an inclusive workplace environment is vital for improving the retention Additionally, RE projects can support companies of female employees. For example, Women in by promoting gender-sensitive communication Geothermal (WING),47 and its WINGman Special campaigns. Employers may demonstrate Taskforce, conduct workshops in which men and their commitment to gender equality by using women in the geothermal sector learn about communication materials and public relations gender inequality in the industry and are trained campaigns that depict women as employees to use specific measures to address gender doing technical or managerial work—for example, disparities in the workplace. In the LAC region, using tools and machinery, wearing protective ESMAP’s Energy and Gender Program has gear, or leading a discussion. conducted such workshops in El Salvador that have included representatives from geothermal Reaching out to education institutions and companies and government institutions from women’s professional networks, through several countries in the region. RE projects may multiple platforms, can help ensure that job also partner with existing country-level initiatives, advertisements reach potential female applicants. such as the Leadership for Gender Inclusion Projects can also organize sector-wide open program, which is delivered by Griffith University houses, with activities welcoming girls on in Lao PDR with funding from the Australian worksites to experience firsthand jobs done on Government.48 the field—similar to Bring-your-Daughter-to-Work 47 Women in Geothermal (WING) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization focused on promoting the education, professional development, and advancement of women in the geothermal industry. WING has representation in 57 countries and over 1,300 members, making it the largest geothermal association in the world. 48 https://news.griffith.edu.au/2021/06/28/griffith-leads-gender-inclusion-with-program-in-laos/; https://www.laosaustraliainstitute.org/2021-leadership- for-gender-inclusion-program/#:~:text=The%2010%2Dweek%20program%2C%20conducted,modules%2C%20webinar%20presentations%2C%20 and%20online. Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 30 Addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and 4. Creating workplaces that preventing sexual harassment. RE employers should adopt anti-sexual harassment policies promote women’s retention and gender-based violence prevention and response measures. The risk of sexual Gender-responsive and safe facilities and harassment and violence against women are equipment. RE organizations can invest in major deterrents to women’s participation in the suitable facilities and equipment for women sector (Shaw, Hegewisch and Hess 2018). RE in the workplace and at project sites to projects can assist companies in mitigating and create an inclusive work environment and responding to these risks (World Bank 2020c). enhance women’s employment retention. Such Measures such as codes of conduct for staff and investments could include adequate lighting, contractors, and grievance redress mechanisms separate toilets and living quarters, uniforms with detailed protocols for handling cases and and personal protective equipment suitable for reporting procedures, signal that violence and women, and adequate security measures for sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Training women during work-related travel, including safe should be provided to all staff and contractors, transport and guards on the premises. Effective focusing on GBV commitments and sanctions for policies to prevent sexual exploitation, sexual breaching the code of conduct. abuse, and sexual harassment are also important, particularly in cases where advancement in In the EAP region, the Solomon Islands Electricity technical positions may require women to Access and Renewable Energy Expansion Project relocate and work in remote areas. aims to set up a framework at the state-owned utility Solomon Power to build a productive and Flexible work arrangements, parental leave, respectful workplace culture and implement a and childcare services. Employers can offer workplace response system to domestic violence generous paid parental leave (to both mothers (World Bank 2018c), building on the Waka Mere and fathers)49 and provide childcare benefits Commitment to Action program (IFC 2019), to attract and retain the best talent. Larger the two-year IFC initiative that Solomon Power organizations could establish childcare facilities signed in 2017 with regard to implementing GBV because the demands of childcare are often a policies. The Papua New Guinea Energy Utility barrier to female workforce participation. Smaller Performance and Reliability Improvement Project businesses or those that cannot afford such plans to support the utility PPL in developing a costs might grant their employees childcare workplace response to the threats and impacts allowances, allowing them to send their children of family and sexual violence, and to women’s to an existing daycare facility in the area or hire security and safety concerns in the workplace, an individual childcare provider. Setting standards mainly through training and by implementing the for flexible working arrangements may be a less recommendations from a gender-smart safety expensive strategy than providing childcare to audit (World Bank 2021c). retain female employees and at the same time enhance work-life balance, which benefits both men and women. Gender pay equity. Reducing gender wage disparities can help increase women’s involvement in the RE sector. Gender pay 49 Fathers should also be strongly encouraged to take their parental leave. 31 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR Several measures can be implemented to EXPAND EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN in the Renewable Energy sector Collecting systematic and gender-disaggregated data on employment in Renewable Energy Ensuring leadership Supporting female buy-in, identifying entrepreneurship in RE gender gaps, and setting targets IMPROVING FEMALE Increasing women’s EMPLOYMENT Supporting women’s career advancement through access to STEM mentoring, leadership skills education and development, etc. training Addressing cultural Creating safe and flexible norms, discrimination, workplaces that promote and sexual women’s retention harassment disparities can be caused by both the low number to identify underlying reasons and formulate of women in high-paying jobs (such as in senior appropriate solutions. positions or highly skilled roles) and by gender discrimination—paying women less than men for equal work. RE projects can assist companies in carrying out annual gender pay gap evaluations Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 32 5. Supporting women’s career partnership with Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, hosted a certification advancement training workshop in the country for 25 female RE practitioners to become energy managers Mentoring. Mentorship is critical for women’s job and energy auditors, under UNDP’s Market progression in the RE sector. RE organizations Transformation for Renewable Energy Use and could initiate mentorship programs in which Energy Efficiency (MTRE3) Project (Dewanti senior executives commit to supporting high- 2022). In Ethiopia, Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) potential women. Employers can also encourage offers leadership training to female employees to women employees to join women’s association ensure that women are not permanently locked in networks such as the Global Women’s Network junior roles (World Bank 2020d). for the Energy Transition (GWNET), the Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) mentor network, and Many RE organizations could cover part of country-level networks.50 Professional networks the cost of leadership training through grants can help women’s career advancement and and other financial support from development be used for mentoring and sharing information agencies and NGOs. For example, in Mongolia, about job opportunities. The Asia Foundation’s in 2015, the NGO Women for Change launched Women-in-STEM Network Mapping has identified the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership more than 70 networks in Asia that support Program to increase the number of Mongolian women to enter and advance in STEM careers women employed in leadership and at (Boccuzzi and Uniacke 2021). In Vietnam, the decision-making levels in the workforce and in utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) launched in 2017 government.51 USAID in Vietnam supports EVN a new leadership program for women designed in conducting training on gender equality and to enhance their capacity to advance into senior best practices, fostering the utility’s gender- management positions (World Bank 2017). Also, supportive policies and practices.52 In Serbia, a pay-as-you-go solar off-grid provider, PEG the World Bank developed in 2018 a women’s Africa, conducted a three-month pilot mentorship leadership training and mentoring program for program in 2018 to promote women leaders the utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) as part of in the company by pairing high-performing, a Development Policy Loan (Casabonne, Faria mid-level female managers with director- and Lukic 2020). The overwhelming majority level executives and providing a framework of the female EPS workers who participated in of leadership metrics to follow. As a result, the training stated that their confidence had mentorship lasting six months is now available increased by the end of the training. to all of PEG Africa’s high-performing, mid-level managers (PEG Africa 2019). In 2019, the Global Wind Energy Council53 and GWNET created the Women in Wind Global Leadership training. Women employees in Leadership Program to accelerate women’s RE companies could greatly benefit from career advancement in the wind energy sector, leadership training that better prepares them support their path to senior leadership, and to face the many challenges of working in create a knowledge-sharing global network that male-dominated sectors. In 2021 UNDP, in promotes inclusion and empowerment.54 The 50 For example, Indonesia’s Women in Mining & Energy (WIME), and the Association of Mongolian Women Engineers, Technologists, Scientists, and Mathematicians (Mongolian WSTEM). 51 https://w4cblog.wordpress.com/womens-leadership-program/. 52 https://www.usaid.gov/vietnam/news/dec-02-2022-usaid-advances-gender-equality-vietnams-energy-sector. 53 The international trade association for the wind power industry. 54 https://gwec.net/women-in-wind/about-the-program/. 33 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR program includes mentorship, learning and positions during operations by 2020, and at development, webinars, a study tour, and an least 30 percent of unskilled labor for services online storytelling campaign. GWNET published provided during construction (2013–17) (ESMAP a report in 2019 on good practices for a more 2019). Similarly, the Kenya Electricity Generating inclusive workplace (GWNET 2019). Leadership Company (KenGen) regularly issues tenders for skills training should also include soft skills such which 30 percent of the budget is reserved for as communication and negotiation. In addition, firms owned by disadvantaged groups, including companies could provide project management women. training to women, including procurement, financial management, and so on. Access to finance. Raising finance is a primary challenge for female entrepreneurs. Female- 6. Supporting female owned companies are underserved—and in some cases even unserved—by financial institutions entrepreneurship in RE (World Bank 2022). Women are less likely to be eligible for loans or other financial services, and Preferential procurement framework. RE they often have poor creditworthiness because companies could leverage their purchasing they lack collateral such as land and other policies to promote gender equality by sourcing property. There is therefore a need for innovative more often from women-owned businesses financing options that are accessible to women and gender-responsive companies, and by entrepreneurs and women’s cooperatives. For encouraging suppliers to pay closer attention to example, microfinance facilities could offer grants, gender equality and women’s empowerment. interest-free loans, and subsidies. Dedicated Several measures can support gender-responsive funds or credit lines to support RE companies procurement. These range from inclusive could be established featuring longer repayment language in tendering documents stating that periods, smaller, more frequent installments, and women-owned businesses are encouraged to the possibility of using non-monetary assets, apply, to preferential scoring systems for women- such as eligible RE equipment or raw material, as owned companies or those that have a high share collateral. of female employees. Companies could also limit contract size, loosen capital requirements, and Business development services and training. simplify bureaucratic requirements for smaller Female-owned companies are less likely to contracts. They could also host women-only be able to afford and benefit from business information sessions, hire female procurement development services. Training on technical, officers, and set targets for procurement from financial, and leadership skills is essential to the women-owned businesses. success of female-owned businesses because it helps them identify sustainable business Several guidelines and recommendations on opportunities, develop networks to expand their gender-responsive procurement are available business, and develop effective market strategies (Falth 2020; UN Women 2021; Nowakowska- (IRENA 2019). The Wonder Women initiative in Miller, Sabino, and Weisman 2011). For example, in Indonesia trains women to sell standalone energy Indonesia, the Sarulla Geothermal Power Project, solutions such as solar lanterns in remote areas. financed by the Asian Development Bank, has a The program trains women to become social preferential procurement framework that favors entrepreneurs, focusing on technology use and local businesses. The framework put in place maintenance, sales and marketing, bookkeeping requirements for women to comprise at least 20 and financial management, and public speaking percent of technical, laboratory, or administrative (IRENA 2019). Women’s Employment in Renewable Energy in the East Asia and Pacific Region 34 Similarly, IFC’s Lighting Myanmar program seeks to involve women entrepreneurs as distributors of solar products (IFC 2018). In Sub-Saharan Africa, Solar Sister, a training and job creation initiative that empowers women entrepreneurs to deliver off-grid RE solutions, has benefitted 8,500 entrepreneurs, of whom 87 percent are women, as of 2022.55 RE operations could also partner with organizations such as the ILO, which through its Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Program seeks to address gender inequalities in enterprise development and create the conditions to enable women entrepreneurs to start and grow their business.56 55 https://solarsister.org/what-we-do/our-impact/. 56 https://www.ilo.org/empent/areas/womens-entrepreneurship- development-wed/lang--en/index.htm. 35 STATUS OF WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR CONCLUSIONS Global efforts to invest in RE and to expand country-level actors such as professional inclusive employment opportunities in the sector associations and/or chambers of commerce. are growing. The present note demonstrates, • Making it a point to request gender- nevertheless, that there are still significant data disaggregated employment data from constraints on assessing and tracking women’s counterparts in the RE sector when participation in the RE sector. developing RE investment projects. To expand the basis of gender-disaggregated Development agencies are also encouraged to employment data in the sector, international and work with public and private sector counterparts national stakeholders could consider several in the RE sector to expand the employment of directions of work, which could also be supported women, particularly in technical and leadership by World Bank investments: positions, by focusing on one or more of the following areas: • Updating the classification of economic activities to include categories for each RE • Eliciting leadership buy-in and target-setting technology. This change could be driven both at the international level, by organizations • Enhancing women’s access to STEM such as the ILO, and at the country level. education and training Some countries, such as the United States, • Addressing cultural norms that perpetuate have already created such a classification. discrimination and sexual harassment Countries may be incentivized by international initiatives such as the SDGs that call for more • Improving women’s employment retention, career development, and career advancement gender equality in the RE sector, or ESG investment requirements. • Encouraging female entrepreneurship in RE • Including RE companies in enterprise surveys The examples provided in this note present an such as the ones conducted by the World overview of the RE sector in the East Asia and Bank. Pacific region. 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