Without policy support, green job growth could amplify gender gaps: 'Climate change is … also a labor market challenge'

Women in Arab States and in countries around the world may be less likely than men to see the direct benefits of job growth in green markets such as renewable energy. According to the International Labour Organization, gender-responsive policies are needed to address inequalities emerging in these fields.

“The evidence is clear: Climate change is not only a threat to nature, but also a labor market challenge that requires coordinated, forward-looking action,” said the ILO's Mette Grangaard Lund in a late-October press release announcing the launch of a new resource covering 12 Arab States. "These factsheets will assist countries in the region to develop evidence-based policies and just transition strategies that leave no one behind." 

The ILO recently released a series of Employment, Environment, and Climate Nexus Factsheets for a dozen countries. The data highlights the negative effects of air pollution and rising global temperatures on employment and productivity, but it also identifies job creation opportunities with the potential to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and boost employment.

Optimistically, and with sufficient investments and policy support, the ILO has said, 10 million jobs could be created across the Middle East and North Africa. 

According to the factsheets, 20 percent of Jordan's electricity generation is currently produced with solar and wind — the country intends to increase that share to 50 percent by 2030. In Oman, there were 4,400 renewable energy jobs as of 2023 — the country has set goals of reaching 30 percent renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. 

To meet these goals, both countries will need to grow their job numbers, opening up new opportunities, perhaps especially for those new to the workforce and those facing climate-related job loss.

But these opportunities for more resilient employment may belie and even magnify gender gaps. Women and girls in Arab States and globally often work in agricultural and informal trade sectors. These can be significantly impacted by climate disasters and also frequently lack adequate social protections. 

The ILO report identifies the need for improving equitable access to training and targeted funding to better support women’s participation in emerging green economies worldwide. 

“Strategic investment in renewable energy and sustainable sectors can drive inclusive growth, enhance energy security, and protect vulnerable communities from environmental shocks,” said the ILO, per Devdiscourse.

2024 analysis from the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Institute found that women and people of color were indeed underrepresented "in the potential clean energy workforce." The think tank's research indicated that remedies for this might include community groups coordinating with employers, unions, and universities to improve equitable access to technical degrees and on-the-job training.

Interested not only in getting women in the door but in advancing their careers, the Global Energy Alliance for People and the Planet spoke with six African climate and energy companies and over 200 active and former female employees for a 2023 report. The women underscored the importance of pay equity, promotions, and addressing gender-based violence in the workplace to ensure equitable access to leadership opportunities.

Experts have noted that improving representation within the clean energy workforce will be essential not only for expanding economic opportunities and electricity access for women and girls, but also for building the robust employee base needed to achieve the global transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels.

“SDG 7 and SDG 5 are inseparable,” said Lesego Chombo, Botswana's Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, in February, citing the United Nations' sustainable development goals for modern energy access and gender equality, respectively. “We cannot reach our 2030 development goals without directly involving women and girls in the energy sector.”