Wind energy: A gender perspective
Full details
| Authors & editors | |
| Publisher | International Renewable Energy Agency |
| Year of publication | 2020 |
| Languages | |
| Medium | Digital |
| Edition | 1 |
| Topics | Arts, culture and heritage > The role of women |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | The present report looks more closely at the participation of women in the wind sector, one of the fastest-growing renewable energy industries. It follows an in-depth analysis of women’s participation in the renewable energy industry as a whole. Renewable energy: A gender perspective (IRENA, 2019b) was based on an extensive literature review and global survey of individuals and organisations. It found that women account for an estimated 32% of the renewable energy workforce. After identifying the barriers women face in attempting to enter and advance in the industry, it suggested policies and workplace measures to overcome these impediments in both the public and private sectors. The present report follows up with a specific focus on wind energy, one of the fastest-growing renewable energy industries. The number of jobs generated in the sector worldwide has grown from about 750 000 in 2012 to 1.16 million (IRENA, 2019a). The survey found that job opportunities for women exist across the wind energy value chain – in project planning and equipment manufacturing, construction and installation, and operations and maintenance of facilities. Those opportunities include a broad array of support services, such as finance, information technology, administration, marketing, knowledge, legal, and business development, among others. These activities require expertise in a diverse set of technical and non-technical occupations (IRENA, 2017; 2018). |
Divisions within this publication
- 1: Wind energy and gender_ _____________ 06
- 2: 1.1. The importance of gender equality_________________ 10
- 3: 1.2. Closing the knowledge gap on gender and the wind energy sector: IRENA’s survey_______ 11
- 4: Employment of women in the wind energy sector____18
- 5: 2.1. Key findings______________19
- 6: 2.2. Barriers to female entry, retention and advancement in the wind workforce______ 24
- 7: Barriers to entry_ _________ 25
- 8: Barriers to retention and advancement ____________ 26
- 9: Wage inequities___________ 28
- 10: 2.3. Selected measures to address barriers__________ 30
- 11: Creating networks and systems for support and mentorship _______________31
- 12: Improving workplace practices, policies and regulations ______________ 32
- 13: Mainstreaming gender perspectives _____________ 33
- 14: Replicating women’s initiatives in the field ______ 34
- 15: The path ahead__________ 36
- 16: Annex___________________ 38
- 17: A.1. IRENA 2019 online survey on gender and wind energy_ _________ 38
- 18: A.2. Limitations of the survey_______________ 39
- 19: A.3. Overall representativeness of the survey_______ 41
- 20: References_______________ 43
