| Women in hydro
Bhutanese Experience According to a recent World Bank report, women
hold just 21% of technical hydropower roles globally. But the story is slightly different in Bhutan, where hydropower is central to the country’s economy and the World Bank Group is supporting efforts to develop the sector there. More diverse than its neighbours across South Asia, in Bhutan women make up 24% of total employees in the power industry, and aren’t just relegated to non-technical roles either – accounting for 22% of technical roles and 29% of managerial roles. Future employment prospects within the growing
hydropower sector are also looking positive. With World Bank financing recently approved for construction of the1125MW Dorjilung project, located on the Kurichhu River in eastern Bhutan, this landmark scheme is expected to give a 40% boost to the country’s energy production, expand economic opportunities and create more and better jobs. However, appropriate measures and policies will still be required to ensure women have equal access to these new hydropower positions in order to reach their full economic potential.
Have courage Established in 2019, the WePOWER network is a
World Bank initiative helping to close the gender gap across South Asia. Working with over 50 public power sector utilities, it helps to recruit and retain women, giving them ‘a solid foothold’ in the power sector. Indeed, more than 235,000 South Asian women and girls – including students, young professionals, engineers and mothers returning from maternity leave - have benefited from its activities. As well as exposure to STEM jobs in the energy sector, they’ve also been given the opportunity to participate in study tours and receive additional professional training, have been matched with internships, mentorships, and entry level STEM jobs, received long-term career support, and even risen to top management jobs. Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) is Bhutan’s only hydropower generation utility and one of the country’s major recruiters, especially for technical roles. In collaboration with WePOWER it has directly benefited 481 women across the company at all ages and stages of their career. Successfully increasing the number of women employees by 15%, it has hired 64 young women since 2020, predominantly in technical roles. Internship and mentorship programmes have also helped junior employees see first-hand how theory translates into practice, helping to build their professional skills and confidence. In addition, the company has widened its focused
on to women-friendly infrastructure, and has provided toilet facilities, sanitary vending machines and private accommodation in power plants, on- site daycare facilities, structured internship and mentorship programmes, technical and leadership trainings, and formalised support for mothers returning from maternity leave.
As Dasho Chhewang Rinzin, Managing Director of DGPC acknowledges, women in the hydropower sector face unique challenges. He says this is why DGPC is committed to creating a level playing field that allows its strongest talents to flourish, ultimately
www.waterpowermagazine.com | June 2026 | 23 Workforce in the spotlight
AECOM has been recently putting its female workforce into the spotlight. A key focus has been on how collaboration across teams, regions and with clients, is at the root of everything the company does, helping to solve engineering challenges. Lindsay Stafford, a Senior Civil Engineer in Australia, says that from the start of her career she’s always prioritised building a strong network of mentors. Collaboration is at the heart of every successful project, she adds. Leading a 250-person flood risk team across the US, Marcia Tobin, Vice
President of Flood Risk Solutions in Tennessee, has witnessed first-hand how collaboration fuels better outcomes. And it is clear collaborative communication, according to Kelly Giesing, a Civil Engineer in California, which drives better outcomes across dam design projects. And although collaborative engineering can meet complex challenges and deliver lasting value, as Becky Wong, a Technical Director in Hong Kong adds, it must also be remembered that collaboration with clients plays a vital role as well. At Hydro Tasmania, Rachel Watson was recently appointed to the role of Chief
Executive Officer of the company in Australia. She becomes the first woman to hold the substantive CEO role, with her appointment meaning the company’s executive team will be among the few in the energy industry with a majority of women. Formerly Country Manager for global renewable developer OX2, CEO of
Pacific Hydro Australia and Chair of the Clean Energy Council, Watson has also been named in The Australian’s list of 100 Green Power Players.
helping the company to build and retain a skilled workforce to drive it forwards.
An assistant engineer at the 720MW Mangdechhu
Hydropower plant in Bhutan, Tandin Tshomo says women do need courage to work in a place where they’re a minority, “because their presence becomes that much more important”. However, by building competence and knowledge she also believes, it doesn’t matter what your gender is, because “you’ll always have respect”.
Pay it forward Based in North Carolina in the US, Rachael Bisnett
is a principal dam engineer at Stantec. Introduced to the world of hydropower engineering at a young
Hydropower is central to the economy in Bhutan. World Bank support for future development may help encourage female participation within the sector here
Inside_bhutan/
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
