Contribution to Book
Closing the Gender Gaps in Energy Sector Recruitment, Retention and Advancement
Research Handbook on Energy and Society
(2021)
Abstract
Globally, women represent only 22 per cent of the oil and gas industry and 32 per cent of the renewable energy workforce. Women are particularly underrepresented in the energy sector in jobs that require science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) training (28 per cent) compared to non-STEM technical jobs (35 per cent) and administrative positions (45 per cent). In this chapter, we complement secondary knowledge synthesis of peer-reviewed and practitioner literature with primary interview data from Canada to understand barriers and opportunities for women’s entry, retention and advancement in the energy sector in Canada and other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. As industrialized economies retool their existing industries to respond to concerns about fossil fuel insecurity and environmental sustainability, they face skill shortages in all areas of the energy sector. Although these developments present challenges for labour supply, they also represent opportunities to train, recruit and promote women, Indigenous peoples, new immigrants and other groups that have historically been marginalized in the energy sector.
Keywords
- energy,
- employment,
- women,
- gender equality,
- canada,
- OECD countries
Disciplines
Publication Date
2021
Editor
J. Webb, M. Tingey & F. Wade
Publisher
Edward Elgar
Citation Information
Bipasha Baruah. "Closing the Gender Gaps in Energy Sector Recruitment, Retention and Advancement" Edinburgh, UKResearch Handbook on Energy and Society (2021) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/bipasha-baruah/40/