Lessons learned |
Powering on with full force
A new groundbreaking report is taking a pivotal step towards driving change in the hydropower sector, where women remain significantly underrepresented and there is an urgent need for addressing gender equality
GREATER ACCESS TO A wider pool of talent will enable the hydropower industry to fulfil its crucial role in the clean energy transition. And, as a recent report highlights, expanding education and training will help to build an inclusive and balanced workforce with high-quality employment opportunities to benefit both men and women. Described as a groundbreaking report, Power With Full Force: Getting to Gender Equality in the Hydropower Sector, has been released by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) of the World Bank. It is viewed as being a pivotal step towards driving change in the hydropower sector where women remain significantly underrepresented, and where there is an urgent need for addressing gender equality.
Below: Barbara Fischer- Aupperle, Board Member and Co-Founder of the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition which carried out research and analysis for the World Bank report
Commenting upon the report’s release, Debbie Gray, the Interim Head of Policy at the International Hydropower Association (IHA), said: “ One of the most important things we can do to close the gender gap in the hydropower sector is to talk about it. We need to take stock and evaluate what the gender gaps are and find solutions to close them. Publishing this report continues the conversation in the industry while providing practical, concrete and specific recommendations that different stakeholders can put into place.”
By 2050 the hydropower industry is expected
to employ 3.7 million people but currently only a quarter of positions are taken up by women. Although previous studies have shown that an inclusive workforce with equal opportunities for both men and women is economically and socially beneficial, the hydropower sector still does not take advantage of the talents and skills of diverse individuals. As research has shown, having more women in business leadership results in better and more efficient decision-making, less risk taking, greater innovation, greater corporate responsibility, improved use of available talent, and higher profits. Furthermore, female-led businesses with female leaders have been shown to have higher rates of survival overall and were able to weather the financial crisis of 2008 better than the average, while during the COVID-19 crisis, women-led S&P 500 companies performed better and were considered less of a credit risk than those led by men.
So why is there such gender disparity
within the hydropower industry? Although the energy industry is predominantly male dominated, the hydro sector is considered as being particularly worthy of study due to its unique characteristics that may in fact create more barriers for women. For example as the new ESMAP report states: Hydropower is an old, well-established technology with an ageing workforce which can lead to the perception that it is also not very dynamic. As hydro companies tend to be older and larger than newer solar or wind energy companies, the former may display more conservative and less inclusive corporate cultures. In comparison with other renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar that have relatively straightforward construction and operational frameworks, hydropower tends to be a much more labour-intensive, technical, and engineering-focused industry. Technical roles during construction and operation in the hydropower sector can require frequent travel to or long periods at very remote sites (several months, often several years). Due to prevailing gender norms, combining such roles with family life remains more difficult for women than for men. Hydropower’s image has been tarnished by projects that have not respected the basic principles of sustainable development and make hydropower less attractive than other renewables to people who wish to make a positive impact on society. Research
28 | December 2023 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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