Advancing gender equality in the renewable energy sector

This position paper by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) and Schneider Electric advocates for gender equality in the renewable energy (RE) sector to accelerate universal energy access by 2030. It argues that women are essential agents of change who reinvest a higher portion of their income into community services than men. The document provides specific recommendations for RE companies, funding partners, and investors to implement gender-sensitive approaches, alongside case studies from India and the Sahel region demonstrating the socio-economic impact of empowering women entrepreneurs and leaders in the energy transition.

• Gender equality is critical for achieving universal energy access by 2030 because women reinvest a significantly higher proportion of their income into community livelihoods and essential services—up to 90%—compared to 35% for men.
• The renewable energy sector has a higher female participation rate (estimated at 32%) than the traditional energy sector, which is male-dominated with only 16% female participation.
• RE companies are encouraged to adopt gender-disaggregated data collection and promote female leadership, as companies with gender parity or female leadership often outperform and are more profitable than those led by men.
• International funding partners and private investors should implement gender mainstreaming and capacity building, including funding for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and supporting digital tools to help women entrepreneurs build bankable profiles.
• In the Gumla district of India, Project ASTHA replaced diesel pumps with solar-powered ones and established the Ghagra Women Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), resulting in a 25% increase in women-led initiatives and a reduction in seasonal migration rates from 54% to 17%.
• The DESFERS programme in the Sahel region (Senegal, Mali, and Niger) has provided green skills training to 7,204 women, established 6,099 women-led green enterprises, and improved access to RE solutions and credit for 21,000 women.
• Individual entrepreneurship, such as Pallavi Jayabhaye's SK Solar & Power Solutions in Hingoli, India, demonstrates the impact of technical training; by 2024, her business achieved a turnover of ₹5.2 million (USD 61,180) and installed 10 kW of solar power.

APA

Neidhardt, O., & Jæger, J. (2025). Advancing gender equality in the renewable energy sector. Alliance for Renewable Electrification. https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ARE_SchneiderElectric_PositionPaper_A4_250611_PRINT.pdf

Chicago

Neidhardt, Otto, and Jens Jæger. Advancing gender equality in the renewable energy sector. Alliance for Renewable Electrification, 2025. https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ARE_SchneiderElectric_PositionPaper_A4_250611_PRINT.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Neidhardt |first1=Otto |last2=Jæger |first2=Jens |title=Advancing gender equality in the renewable energy sector |publisher=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |date=April 2025 |url=https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ARE_SchneiderElectric_PositionPaper_A4_250611_PRINT.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{neidhardt2025advancing, author = {Neidhardt, Otto and Jæger, Jens}, title = {{Advancing gender equality in the renewable energy sector}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ARE_SchneiderElectric_PositionPaper_A4_250611_PRINT.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }