Building a Gender-Just Energy Transition in the Middle East, North Africa and Beyond
The global conversation on climate, energy and gender is more crucial than ever. While the transition toward green and decarbonized economies holds significant promise, it also poses inherent risks of stranding and disproportionately impacting vulnerable groups. Women, already burdened by existing inequalities in employment opportunities, social protection, wages, working conditions and decision-making roles, face exacerbated challenges during this transition. Adopting an equitable and inclusive recovery plan that shield women from these disparities is therefore crucial.
As governments prioritize more sustainable models in response to climate change, the concept of a just transition is gaining prominence. However, the gender-specific complications of the transition are not yet thoroughly understood or acknowledged. This post explores how an inclusive approach to sustainability can benefit all members of society, particularly women and marginalized communities, with a specific emphasis on the context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and specifically Lebanon.
A just transition, at its core, is more than the development of green economies; it refers to the indiscriminatory inclusion of all communities, workers and social groups in the process of change. As the world moves from carbon-based to green industries, the future we envision must be grounded in current realities, especially those of marginalized and underprivileged groups. Governments, organizations and industry leaders must not only avoid leaving anyone behind but also actively ensure the full participation of all societal groups to achieve long-term positive change.
This road to a sustainable future is not easy or rosy. Women are often among the most vulnerable to the adversities of change. Women in the labor force continue to suffer from wage disparities, unpaid care work, limited access to resources, gender biases in various sectors, under-representation in decision-making positions, and barriers to entrepreneurship, among many other challenges. In the renewable energy sector specifically, disparities are even much more pronounced. For instance, despite evidence that, globally, 62 women for every 100 men possess skills and expertise related to environmental sustainability and renewable energy—known as “green talent”—women remain significantly underrepresented in the energy workforce, occupying only 32 percent of roles in the renewable energy sector. Additionally, only 11 percent of women are founders of companies within the energy sector.
In the MENA region, women remain severely underrepresented in most areas key to the green transition. For instance, their labor participation in the renewable energy sector ranges only between 7 and 9 percent, much lower than the already low global average of 32 percent. Moreover, among the 400,000 jobs estimated to be generated as part of the green transition in the Arab region specifically, only 10 percent are projected to target women. These stark numbers underscore that women are not equally included in the overall transition process, hindering their effective participation in sustainable development programs and thus greatly limit their future opportunities in the field of renewable energy.
At the Arab Institute for Women (AiW) at the Lebanese American University (LAU), our work is built on a large number of themes that focus on women’s issues, explored through both research and outreach endeavors. Given the interdisciplinary and diverse nature of our activities, the concept of a “just transition” naturally fits within our area of focus, as it aligns closely with our long-term vision for inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. We are therefore looking forward to initiating new conversations among experts and scholars on gender, energy, and climate change. We also aim to encourage coalition-building and introduce new initiatives to raise awareness about environmental sustainability and gender equality in Lebanon and the wider region.
Our commitment is reflected by recent practical initiatives, such as panel discussions and events to foster dialogue and partnerships among different organizations and individuals working at the intersection of gender equality and climate change. During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we hosted a session entitled “Environmental Equality in the Arab Region,” and an arts competition in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). We also organized a webinar on gender and the environment, a symposium with the Armenian General Benevolent Union on International Women’s Day on “Strengthening Intergenerational Dialogue and Partnership on Gender Equality & Climate Change,” and collaborated with the non-governmental organization (NGO) Ahla Fawda, as part of the “TEDx Sprints: Artists for Climate” initiative, to showcase Lebanese artists in a global collection of digital illustrations addressing climate issues.
Now more than ever, we at AiW are committed to facilitating an equitable restructuring of our social and economic realities. This involves ensuring the inclusion of all individuals in the process of sustainable development. Working closely with organizations like the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is one of the many ways through which we aim to effect lasting change, despite the numerous challenges faced.
Only by acknowledging the challenges which women face can governmental and nongovernmental entities develop targeted action plans that unlock new opportunities for more equitable participation. Instead of echoing women’s concerns behind closed doors, we, researchers and activists, must form national and transnational pressure groups to engage with relevant authorities and ensure that our voices are heard and concerns addressed. For the transition to be truly gender-just, we propose the following key recommendations:
- Inclusive decision-making. Governments should ensure that women have a seat at the decision-making table and have the required opportunities to participate fully and actively within their communities, especially in the Global South.
- Redistributive justice. In order to avoid the injustice trap, governments and international organizations should implement a redistributive justice process that allocates resources and opportunities equitably across community members, while prioritizing programs that benefit women specifically.
- Education and employment opportunities. Educational institutions, in collaboration with government and private sector stakeholders, should actively encourage women to major in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and pursue careers in STEM to ensure career opportunities given that traditional professions may be negatively affected or even completely eliminated as part of the transition. By creating more opportunities and support systems for women in these fields, we can harness their talents and contributions to tackle the challenges of the future.
- Removing structural barriers. Governments and relevant stakeholders in the renewable energy sector should take proactive measures to dismantle structural impediments and address stereotypical gender norms to guarantee women’s meaningful engagement as agents of change in renewable energy sectors.
- Cross-sector collaboration. Stakeholders across sectors, including government agencies, academia and NGOs, should collaborate on research and data collection purposes to overcome the dearth of data in our local context.
These recommendations, among others, serve as a roadmap for facilitating and actualizing the just transition process toward a sustainable, green and gender-equal future for all.
