Gender challenges in just energy transition: The labour market perspective

Abstract

The energy transition presents a significant challenge with broad societal and economic implications, offering an opportunity for a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable energy system. However, its success hinges on addressing social, economic, and cultural challenges beyond technology. Achieving a just transition requires equal opportunities for men and women in gender-biased male-dominated activities, impacting women's career paths. This study examines women's roles in energy transition activities in Spain, identifying participation gaps with a focus on horizontal segregation. It firstly designs a theoretical framework and operational delimitation for the energy transition sector. The working hypothesis suggests negative biases against women, affecting their entry into the labour market and contributing to horizontal segregation. Initial analysis reveals the severe underrepresentation of women in these activities across the EU and Spain. A logit model is used to analyse gender differences in the probability of accessing employment, controlling for personal and environmental characteristics. Additionally, a gap decomposition methodology examines the impact of various factors on gender differences. Results from the econometric model focused in Spain suggest that once controlled for personal characteristics, women have a lower probability of being employed in energy transition, varying by occupation. This could be interpreted as a working environment that discriminates women with entry barriers associated with worker sex, including those related to horizontal segregation. This work contributes with a novel comprehensive operational delimitation of the energy transition sector, expanding beyond renewable energies to incorporate key areas from national and international investment programs.