© Silvia Sartori 

Gender equality and clean and affordable energy are closely interconnected. They are both a Sustainable Development Goal: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” (SDG 5) and “Universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy” (SDG 7). Equally, they are also an enabler and a pre-condition for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda as a whole.

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The just energy transition is more than a technological move from one type of energy to a new, and cleaner one. It is also more than a strategy intended to combat climate change. A just energy transition implies rethinking the way how societies, economies, political systems, international relations and trade are conceived and functioning globally. Therefore, in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, elements of social and gender justice are equally important as environmental and technological considerations.

Girls and women have specific needs and make use of energy in different ways compared to boys and men, due to their specific activities and responsibilities resulting from social norms and cultural beliefs around gendered roles. Girls and women are the backbone of the care economy, as globally evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women remain the prime carers for young, ageing and most vulnerable family members and represent the vast majority of the health care workforce. Looking after the wellbeing of the household is still strongly considered as a women’s responsibility, including procuring food and, in the developing world, energy. For the more than 2 billion people worldwide that in 2023 still lacked access to clean cooking (IEA data), this translates into hours spent every day to collect firewood and in prolonged daily exposure to hazardous smokes emitted by inefficient cook stoves which are estimated to account for about 3.2 million premature deaths every year in 2020 (WHO data). In addition, women constitute a significant component of the traditional workforce in climate-sensitive sectors, most notably agriculture. 
Nonetheless, despite being at the frontline of energy-related services, girls and women bear the brunt from energy poverty in a world where, 750 million people still lived without electricity access in 2023 (IEA data).  

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Concurrently, women are the least represented in decision-making fora, which makes women’s needs, talents and views substantially unheard. As a result, when new energy projects are conceived or new energy products are designed and launched in the markets, they risk not to account for the impact on women, thus failing to acknowledge and mitigate unintended negative effects. This risks not only to perpetuate but also to aggravate existing gender inequalities. 

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But it does not have to be this way.
By fostering inclusive consultation mechanisms, mainstreaming gender into energy access and renewable energy projects, developing enabling policy environments, leveraging the potential of women as change agents and supporting women’s entrepreneurship in the clean energy space, the energy transition can become a truly inclusive and just process that benefits society as a whole. This is particularly the case in rural areas, which is where most people deprived of energy access are located. Via their networks and groups, women keep proving to be most instrumental in facilitating the access of last mile households and communities to clean energy solutions. This in turn can revitalize local economies by creating new value chains and generating new jobs - for both women and men - while minimizing labour migration, enhancing access to education and improving health and safety. 

Girls and women are amongst those who have the highest stakes. Access to distributed renewable energy releases them from the task of collecting biomass and enables them to invest the newly saved time in income-generating activities, study or leisure. Having access to electricity in the community generally improves public lighting and safety, which furthermore enhances women’s mobility. The ensuing virtuous cycle benefits households and communities at large, with proven positive effects on the provision of healthcare and the wellbeing of children, and ultimately strengthening resilience. ​

It is not only about gender equality.  
Social inclusion is equally essential: for the energy transition to be truly just and sustainable, representatives of all different community groups and members shall be effectively and meaningfully consulted and engaged at all stages of the design and development of energy projects, in the genuine spirit of “leaving no one behind”. Social and environmental audits are important tools to utilise prior to the implementation of a new plan. Likewise, collection of gender-disaggregated data and a clear monitoring plan inclusive of gender-related targets and indicators ensure that the benefits for and impact on men and women are analysed throughout the process, so that mitigation measures and remedies can be timely adopted.

It is equally critical that a conducive, gender-responsive policy-framework is in place, with fair representation, due diligence, compliance mechanisms and procedures. Transparency and accountability improve governance and local ownership, which are key towards long-term resilience and contribute to peace and stability. 

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Author: Silvia Sartori