Historically, the energy sector has been male-dominated. Women make up an estimated 22% of the traditional energy sector and 32% of the renewable energy workforce, often working in lower-salary and less technical jobs than men.
Hon. Mark Menezes
President and CEO, United States Energy Association (USEA)
At home in the United States, despite significant progress and parity in educational attainment and labor force participation in professional and technical fields, women continue to stay underrepresented in senior leadership positions, and the gender pay gap and promotion gaps are yet to be closed. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2022, reports the gender pay gap in the United States is in the range of 16-18%. Also, during that survey, when asked about the factors that might play a role in the gender wage gap, half of U.S. adults point to women being treated differently by employers as a major reason.
In developing countries and emerging economies, the barriers to women’s progress include restrictive laws, policy anomalies, limiting regulations, institutional practices, cultural and social practices, and historic norms. To further aggravate the issue, a large percentage of women in lower-income countries work in the informal sectors that lack labor protection while managing the bulk of domestic chores, such as cooking, cleaning, collecting water, raising children, caring for elders, and managing family obligations.
Our goal
We need to close the gaps — the pay and leadership gap, the learning and promotion gap, and other systemic barriers that reduce the number of female role models, both at home and overseas – to achieve greater progress. The journey towards true gender equality will require more from all of us. As president and CEO of the United States Energy Association (USEA) and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, I have had the good fortune of experiencing firsthand that meeting ambitious emission reduction targets and an equitable, just, and secure energy transition needs enthusiastic participation from all actors. Harnessing the power of women’s participation, leadership, and ownership of these targets is a crucial missing piece for the future of energy — not just strong policy and private sector participation but also equitable participation of women and marginalized communities. It makes good business sense while expanding human and social capital.
Our commitment
Over the past decade, USEA has emphasized capacity building and carefully orchestrated interrelated activities prioritizing women’s leadership and inclusion as an intersectional priority in all our programming and convenings. Our 100 years of existence have offered several lessons and methodologies on how to best achieve this, and building capacity and shaping the narrative often emerged as the key drivers of success.
As an institution, our larger goal remains achieving access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all. Therefore, we organically build gender equality organizations and foster active measures that bear long-term results as a convening and educating forum for the energy industry.
Our strategies for empowerment and inclusion
At USEA, we strive to elevate the voices of women in the energy sector by sharing lessons learned, celebrating women leaders, and supporting those who need an extra push to achieve their true potential. Our flagship Virtual Press Briefing series features a panel of industry experts who answer questions from energy sector journalists about the leading issues and cutting-edge energy topics of the day. We often feature women experts in these conversations. The same can be said for our Power Sector Podcast, which highlights the voices of those building and implementing tomorrow’s energy system in the public and private sectors.
Since 2016, USEA has implemented the monthly Women in Energy interview series on our organizational website and social media platforms to honor and improve the visibility of women leaders from across the energy sector. The series, a joint initiative with USAID, has already featured about 80 women leaders from 32 countries championing sustainability, clean energy, critical minerals, environment, technology, and infrastructure. These articles resulted in role models for young women and girls, encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM and the energy industry, challenging the stereotypes and biases about gender roles in the energy sector, and raising public awareness about the importance of gender equality in the energy sector.
From 2020-2023, USEA implemented the U.S. State Department-funded Female Leaders in Energy (FLIE) to advance the professional development of early to mid-career-level women working in energy across the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions. Through mentorship programs, leadership training, technical workshops, conferences, an executive exchange, and job shadowing, USEA offered guidance and support to the inducted mentees of the program. One hundred percent of participants reported technical knowledge improvement and 79% cited leadership skills improvement, achieving significant career milestones, organizational-level recognition, international speaking opportunities, and increased organizational intent in gender-focused programs.
Building on the lessons learned from the very successful FLIE program, USEA is currently implementing the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources’ (ENR) Power Sector Program (PSP)-funded Women Energy Leaders (WEL) program that advances the professional development and leadership of early- to mid-career-level women working in energy sectors in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. USEA received positive feedback on the program’s activities from mentees and speakers as well as requests to expand and continue the program in other geographies. The WEL and FLIE programs enhance women’s leadership in clean energy in Southeast Asia and the Pacific as well as help establish and support professional networks for women in energy to exchange ideas, experiences, and opportunities. Gender analysis and impact studies form the basis of our programming, and with established systems of monitoring, progress assessment, and feedback mechanisms, USEA ensures that the program is responsive to their needs.
In Latin America, USEA was a key partner in USAID’s Young Energy Sector Leaders program that trained Colombia’s early to mid-career professionals from 21 organizations on efficient integration of renewable energy. We had 70% female participation. Due to the success of this program, USAID requested that USEA support Colombia’s transition to renewable energy by engaging with rural and Indigenous communities. This initiative provided sustainable energy career pathways and youth engagement while respecting the Indigenous community’s environmental stewardship.
Creating future opportunities
We need to move forward with these lessons as a foundation to advance and empower the next generation of women leaders — women who nurture lives and livelihoods and who create countries and economies that prosper and thrive. Earlier this year, during International Women’s Week, USEA hosted a week-long Advancing Women’s Leadership in Energy to Accelerate Progress Conference in Colombia with 24 mid-career women representing public and private utilities and government ministries from Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala. The successful workshop, funded by USAID, resulted in a Global Women in Energy Workplace Charter. About 80% of the participating utilities and ministries have signed the charter. I welcome other utilities and ministries to join the Women in Energy Workplace Charter.
As next steps, USEA is exploring ways in which we can realize the commitments with a systemic approach that is SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound — supporting the signatories to achieve a true impact.
At our May 2024 Annual Membership Meeting & Public Policy Forum, we hosted the panel “Women in Energy: Shifting from Words to Action.” The panel conversation delved into the practical steps needed to advance women’s roles in the energy industry, explored effective strategies to overcome existing barriers, and highlighted the success stories that pave the way for future generations. We plan to make it an annual feature.
USEA will continue to prioritize gender equality in our program design and implementation while seeking out active measures that improve energy access and security for women and vulnerable groups. Our program participation will prioritize, more than ever, women’s economic empowerment, gender equality for human development, decision-making, and leadership in the energy sector. The USEA team will continue to shape our programs and processes by driving on-the-ground improvements while integrating the best available knowledge and resources because championing women accelerates progress.
