Building an equitable energy transition: Insights from IRENA’s 2025 Gender Report

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) analyzes the findings of IRENA’s latest "Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective (2025)" report, revealing that women’s representation in the renewable energy workforce remains stagnant at 32%, unchanged since 2019. Through the voices of WiSEu ambassadors and industry leaders, this article explores the persistent barriers, pay gaps, and cultural biases that continue to limit progress and the collective responsibility to build a truly inclusive and people-centric energy transition.</span></p><p>The clean energy transition is reshaping economies, societies, and the very idea of work. But as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reminds us in its 2025 report <i><a href="https://www.irena.org/Publications/2025/Oct/Renewable-Energy-A-Gender-Perspective" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective</a> (Second Edition)</i>, progress toward equality remains uneven. The sector is expanding fast, but not everyone is advancing with it.</p>
<p>Women now account for 32% of full-time jobs in renewables, compared with 23% in fossil fuels. Encouraging, yet still below the global workforce average of 43%. More concerning, however, is that this figure has remained unchanged since the first edition of the report in 2019. Six years on, the share of women in the sector has stagnated, proof that growth alone does not guarantee inclusion. Most women remain concentrated in administrative or non-STEM roles, while only 28% occupy technical positions and 19% hold senior management roles. Representation fades with rank, a clear sign that inclusion by entry is not yet matched by inclusion in influence.</p>
<p>Reflecting on this need for deeper change, Zoraida Bejarano, Head of Talent at NextEnergy Group, highlights the importance of cultural transformation and education: “As an industry with a powerful mission, we must lead through CSR, educating our teams, communities, and the public, so solar becomes not just a technology of the future, but a career of choice for the next generation, inclusive for everyone.”</p>
<p><b>Persistent barriers and the pay gap</b></p>
<p>IRENA’s global survey shows that women continue to face three overlapping barriers: workplace bias, societal expectations, and limited access to technical education. Workplace barriers ranked highest, with 45% of women reporting gender-based discrimination, from being passed over for assignments to dealing with subtle or overt harassment.</p>
<p>Rigid work structures and a lack of flexibility further restrict participation. Many women leave not because of capability gaps, but because environments don’t evolve with their realities. Addressing this issue, Chloé Durieux, Partner & CDP at Nexun, stresses that the challenge lies as much in retention as in recruitment:  “Energy remains a male-dominated industry, and the challenge lies not only in attracting women but in retaining them. Too often, women still need to prove their abilities harder, while their well-being depends on an environment that must continue to evolve. There is still much to do to build truly inclusive workplaces and reduce bias. As leaders, we have the responsibility to drive this change by fostering diversity, embracing open-mindedness, and creating safe, flexible cultures where everyone can thrive.”</p>
<p>Cultural expectations compound these challenges. Across regions, women continue to carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. In many societies, technical and leadership careers are still perceived as male domains. The “leaky pipeline” begins early, as girls receive less encouragement to pursue STEM subjects.</p>
<p>Bringing this perspective to the forefront, Aga Michalak, Head of Marketing and ESG Europe at Jinko, reflects on the need to act earlier in the pipeline: &#8221;Inclusion starts in the classroom. If girls don’t see renewable energy as a place where they belong, we’ll always be repairing the system instead of building it right. Mentorship, visibility, and education aren’t add-ons; they’re the foundation of equality.”</p>
<p>The IRENA report confirms that pay inequity remains one of the sector’s most entrenched challenges. Two-thirds of survey respondents believe men are paid more for similar roles, yet only a third of organisations formally acknowledge this gap. Beyond pay, the gender divide also extends to leadership pipelines. Women continue to be underrepresented in strategic and technical decision-making positions, the spaces where long-term direction is set and innovation thrives. The report points to the crucial role of industry networks and professional associations in creating spaces where women can connect, exchange knowledge, and build visibility. Such networks strengthen representation, help overcome isolation, and accelerate women’s advancement into leadership roles.</p>
<p>On this issue, Carmen Madrid, WiSEu Network Founder, underlines the need for both transparency and community-driven solutions: “Transparency is equality’s best friend. Every organisation should publish pay bands, promotion data, and salary ranges. Equality cannot rely on who negotiates better; it must depend on fair structures. Companies that build transparency into their culture don’t just close pay gaps; they build trust. And by collaborating with professional networks like WiSEu, they send a clear message of commitment to equality, while creating a powerful mechanism to help women overcome barriers to leadership and thrive within the industry.”</p>
<h3><b>Women and energy access</b></h3>
<p>In rural and off-grid contexts, women’s participation is higher, around 35% of employees in energy access projects, but they are still undervalued. Women are often central to system maintenance, user training, and local energy entrepreneurship, yet their contributions are rarely recognised in formal roles.</p>
<p>Offering an international perspective, Rosilena Lindo, Global Climate & Energy Advisor and Former Secretary of Energy in Panama, explains how empowering women in these contexts can transform the energy landscape: “Universal access to energy could benefit substantially from gender mainstreaming by enabling women to wield their talent beyond glass ceilings. Nowadays, women have the technical and cultural know-how to operate and maintain mini-grids and isolated systems and have already built community governance structures from where energy projects are securing continuity. The challenge is to transform their success into greater access to leadership positions with equal pay, while making visible the importance of women's role in the energy transition.”</p>
<h3><b>The road ahead</b></h3>
<p>The IRENA report closes with a call for systemic transformation. Gender mainstreaming must move from aspiration to action, embedded in policy, business models, and education systems. Governments are urged to legislate equal pay, enforce anti-discrimination frameworks, and use gender budgeting to track impact. Employers must provide mentorship, parental leave, flexible work options, and transparent recruitment processes.</p>
<p>Echoing this need for intentional leadership, Claire Gardner, Marketing Manager &#8211; Europe at Solis, emphasises that inclusion and performance go hand in hand: “Success is often measured in megawatts and market growth, but true progress is defined by who we empower along the way. Equality isn’t philanthropy; it’s a strategic advantage that strengthens our collective performance. Diverse leadership and balanced teams drive innovation, resilience, and better outcomes for all. The future of energy must be inclusive, built not only by many, but for everyone, and I’m proud to play my part in building an energy future where everyone belongs and thrives.”</p>
<p>With the renewable workforce projected to reach 30 million by 2030, inclusivity is not a niche concern; it’s a competitive necessity. The energy transition is too important to be driven by half of humanity while the other half remains underrepresented.</p>
<p>Summarising the shared responsibility that lies ahead, Maria Sabella, CEO at Enlight Energy Services, concludes: “When women have the opportunity to actively participate in the energy transition, we bring a long-term view and alignment among stakeholders. We emphasise the importance of local communities, valuing respect for diverse perspectives and a commitment to care. These are not merely soft skills; they are the foundations of sustainability. The transition will only succeed if it becomes truly human and people-centric.”</p>
<p><em>Interested in joining </em><em>women industry leaders and experts at Women in Solar+ Europe? Find out more: <a href="https://circularsynergies.com/wiseu/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">www.wiseu.network</a></em></p>