The Energy Sector Needs a Stronger Female Presence

May 19, 2020 | Nevelyn Black
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Globally, women made up 15% of senior management roles in the power and utilities industry last year.  Some industry leaders believe a stronger female presence and voice in the energy sector will be imperative to the continuing success of the industry especially after the full weight of the pandemic hits.  Wind farm developer G7 Renewable Energies project manager, Veronique Fyfe, says gender diversity in any sphere means “a larger and more creative talent pool.”  Danske Commodities (DC) CEO Helle Østergaard Kristiansen, the first female CEO in energy trading, acknowledged the low numbers of women in the energy sector, saying, “If we don’t tap into 50 percent of the talent pool, do we get the right [people] and the best competencies? I’m concerned about our competitiveness as a company and as a sector, if we don’t improve the rate [of women’s participation].”

According to a report co-authored by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), women represent only about 21% of the global wind workforce, and the greatest gender gaps exist for science, technology, engineering and mathematics roles, and senior management positions.  Women only make up a third (32%) of the global renewable energy workforce.