Gender Equity and Sustainable Livelihoods in Renewable Energy Value Chains: A Conceptual Framework through a Social Reproduction Lens

The paper argues that renewable energy value chains (REVCs) often replicate existing global inequalities, where Global South countries are relegated to low-value-added activities like mineral extraction while Global North countries capture high-value R&D and manufacturing. By applying a 'social reproduction lens'—which examines the intersection of paid and unpaid work and the organization of everyday life—the authors highlight how these structural asymmetries, combined with the 'feminisation of informality,' create barriers to gender equity and sustainable livelihoods. The proposed framework consists of three dimensions: global distribution of value, work and livelihoods, and ecological justice. It emphasizes that a 'just transition' requires moving beyond individual capabilities to address systemic issues such as 'ecologically unequal exchange,' where the Global North appropriates land, labour, and materials from the South. The document concludes with an assessment matrix to guide policymakers in creating high-quality, formal jobs that are compatible with the social reproduction needs of marginalized groups.

• Renewable energy value chains (REVCs) are characterized by a vast disparity in value addition; high-value activities such as research and development, consulting, and financing are concentrated in the Global North, while labour-intensive, low-value activities like resource extraction and installation occur in the Global South.
• Global North economies dominate the high-tech segments of REVCs, with Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands alone contributing 42% of global value-added in these chains.
• African economies are predominantly integrated into REVCs as providers of raw materials, which limits their ability to achieve structural transformation and industrialization.
• The 'feminisation of informality' is a critical barrier to gender equity, with 84% of women in Sub-Saharan Africa working in the informal economy, often in precarious roles that fail to recognize unpaid care work.
• In South Africa's renewable energy sector, employment is heavily skewed toward temporary, low-skilled construction jobs, with women representing only 16% of the workforce.
• In Kenya, while the overall energy sector is dominated by men (75%), decentralized renewable energy shows higher female participation at 41%.
• Social reproduction is fragmented in African contexts due to neoliberal globalization, leading to a 're-privatisation' where the state retreats and the burden of welfare falls back onto households, often relying on older women for childcare.
• The global energy transition is marked by 'ecologically unequal exchange,' where high-income countries are net appropriators of raw materials, energy, land, and labour from the Global South.
• The 'imperialist drain' from the Global South in 2015 was estimated at US$14.1 trillion in raw materials, US$5.1 trillion in land, US$3.6 trillion in energy, and over US$20 trillion in labour.

APA

Stevano, S., Franz, T., Kesar, S., Dafermos, Y., & Dwarkasing, C. (n.d.). Gender Equity and Sustainable Livelihoods in Renewable Energy Value Chains: A Conceptual Framework through a Social Reproduction Lens. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Gender-Equity-Conceptual-Framework.pdf

Chicago

Stevano, Sara, Tobias Franz, Surbhi Kesar, Yannis Dafermos, and Chandni Dwarkasing. Gender Equity and Sustainable Livelihoods in Renewable Energy Value Chains: A Conceptual Framework through a Social Reproduction Lens. Institute for Economic Justice, n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Gender-Equity-Conceptual-Framework.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stevano |first1=Sara |last2=Franz |first2=Tobias |last3=Kesar |first3=Surbhi |last4=Dafermos |first4=Yannis |last5=Dwarkasing |first5=Chandni |title=Gender Equity and Sustainable Livelihoods in Renewable Energy Value Chains: A Conceptual Framework through a Social Reproduction Lens |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Gender-Equity-Conceptual-Framework.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stevanondgender, author = {Stevano, Sara and Franz, Tobias and Kesar, Surbhi and Dafermos, Yannis and Dwarkasing, Chandni}, title = {{Gender Equity and Sustainable Livelihoods in Renewable Energy Value Chains: A Conceptual Framework through a Social Reproduction Lens}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Gender-Equity-Conceptual-Framework.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }