Mind the gender gap
Despite making up 48% of the global labour force, women only account for 22% of the labour force in the oil and gas sector and 32% in renewables [1]. And there are only 33% of female senior officials and managers in the energy sector in the European Union [2], no surprise why men would say “Women are like oxygen: less and less as you go upward” [3].
This noticeable gap also relies on the low female participation in engineering programs and growing up with the stigma that some jobs are meant for women and some others are only for men. However, males and females are equally capable of doing any job.
Research from The Female Lead shows the problems that still block women's careers: the 'Unentitled Mindset'. This is the way that women are conditioned to feel less entitled than men, in all areas of their lives. To expect less, not to take up too much space, not to demand more.
Another element that keeps blocking womens is mansplaining. Which occurs when a man explains something to a woman, with the mistaken assumption that he knows more about it than the person he's talking to does.
It’s important to teach girls that they have the power and freedom of expressing themselves without being judged. Women’s empowerment is a key part of correcting this clear imbalance and increasing female participation in the energy sector (any sector really). Young girls need to grow up knowing they have independence, equal opportunities, and the ability to make strategic choices in all areas of their lives. This will later increase female board members and female executive directors.
The World Bank Group [4] suggest the following solutions to tackle gender gaps:
Address gender biases in learning materials. For instance, biographies of women who have succeeded in male-dominated fields can alter the career aspirations of girls from traditional to nontraditional careers.
Engage parents. Engaging parents of girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can contribute to reshaping parental attitudes toward the participation of girls in engineering.
Encourage participation in extracurricular activities. Museum visits, competitions, extracurricular clubs, and robotics and coding camps offer promise in fostering interest in STEM among both boys and girls.
Feature female role models. Role models provide examples of the kind of success that one may achieve (“I can be like her”) and often also supply a template of the behaviors that may be needed to achieve success. If you want some inspiration please visit the world's most powerful women.
Promote partnerships with the private sector. The private sector can play a role, by bringing financial support to non-profit STEM initiatives, facilitating exposure to female role models, and internship opportunities targeting secondary school girls.
Incorporating initiatives like the ones mentioned above can help us to switch from mansplaining and low female participation where decisions are being made to “I’m speaking”.
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[1] IRENA (2019) Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective.
[2] IEA (2020), Gender diversity in energy: what we know and what we don’t know
[3] Boston Consulting Group (2018), Women in Energy.
[4] World Bank Group (2020), The Equality Equation: Advancing the Participation of Women and Girls in STEM
