While the progress of women in energy continues to move forward, there is still a long way to go in the sector for better representation.

Woman are underrepresented in the sector as a whole

Despite making up 39% of the global workforce, women make up just 20% of the energy sector’s workforce, and it’s not equal across industries. While 40% of roles in the solar industry are held by women, the share in oil and gas is just half that.

Differing roles: The division of labour across the sector remains unequal. Senior leadership in energy firms is still largely male-dominated, with many clean energy industries being just marginally ahead of conventional energy firms for share of women in top positions. Women make up 20% to 25% of senior positions in solar and hydropower firms and closer to 15% in the rest of the sector.

And according to the IEA, women represent more than half of administrative roles but a comparatively smaller share of science technology, engineering and math (STEM) positions. Among energy startup founders, just 11% are women compared to 18% outside the sector.

Narrowing the gap: While the current share of women in technical roles is small, there has been a noticeable increase in women entering technical fields, accounting for 29% of STEM undergrads in the US, 34% in the EU and 44% in India.

With more than half of all roles in energy requiring vocational training, increasing the number of women in these programs can help. Studies have shown that the perception of female representation in an industry can impact its ability to attract women when they are choosing careers.

+Additional reading: World Energy Employment 2024