A women’s front to boost green energy

The Skill India programme could focus more on imparting women with the wherewithal to integrate with the green workforce

India is expanding its renewable energy sector at a fairly rapid clip with new capacity expected to increase significantly enough by 2026 for it to outpace many major economies. But do we have enough skilled manpower to keep up this trajectory? We do not. One answer would be to get women to enter the green workforce in greater numbers which will not only empower them but also ensure that India achieves its green energy goals.

To draw in more women, enabling conditions must be created both in training and the workplace

There are many sectors in which women can play a significant role from waste management to climate adaptation. By 2030, experts estimate that India will need at least 3.5 million people to be working in green energy sector, at present it is just about a third of that. This is an industry where skilled workers will be needed more and more and where we need much greater gender focus. Women with their capacity for innovation and responsiveness to on-ground realities could be a great asset in the transition to green energy and renewables. This would not only ensure greater inclusion in the workforce but also reduce the gender gap in green energy jobs.

The Skill India programme could focus more on imparting women with the wherewithal to integrate with the green workforce. To address the dichotomy of hunger on the one hand and food waste on the other, Nidhi Pant, co-founder of Science for Society, who is a part of the Powering Livelihoods Programme run by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Villgro, has set up a food processing startup powered by solar dryer technology. With this she has democratised the technology for women farmers while addressing the issue of food losses. Disha Agarwal, senior programme lead, CEEW, says, “Women are engaging in several programmes and initiatives, advancing India’s energy transition journey. For instance, vidyut sakhis in Uttar Pradesh are supporting electricity distribution companies in collecting electricity bills from consumers. Important contributions are emerging from CEEW’s powering livelihoods programme, where women end-users of decentralised renewable energy technologies are sharing their positive experiences with other women across the country, providing learnings for creating new avenues of income generation. Women’s participation will be essential in bringing energy transition closer to the communities and impacting sustainable development at scale.”

But success stories like these have not really moved the needle enough on women in green jobs. A report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) found that while women constitute 32% of the global clean energy workforce, the figure for India is only 11%. While the government has framed many schemes to include women in green industries, there is still far too little data on their involvement in this sector. Reliable data could form the basis for addressing the challenges that women face in this field from lack of awareness and skills to the lack of gender sensitivity in green workplaces.

One of the areas which is expanding rapidly is solar energy. But installing and maintaining solar equipment requires a certain degree of education which many women do not have. Many solar plants are in areas without proper and safe transportation and lack of facilities for women. So, to draw in more women, enabling conditions must be created both in training and the workplace.

Jobs in the solar power sector are often in remote locations which deters women. This will make achieving net zero by 2070 that much harder. Several studies have shown that when women assume leadership roles in climate adaptation and mitigation of which renewables is a significant part, there are more sustainable solutions and innovations. In India, women are already active at the grassroots in resource management and if channelled efficiently, this could lead to a valuable cohort of green workers on the lines of the Asha workers scheme which proved a lifesaver during the pandemic. Women cannot be just politically correct additions to green energy efforts, they must be given their rightful place and due importance.

The views expressed are personal