What would an energy industry in which all people have equal opportunities look like? Beyond its role in global decarbonization, green hydrogen could be the key to building a more inclusive and equitable sector. What if each job created in this industry also advanced gender equality?
The transition to green hydrogen is an opportunity to break down barriers in a sector historically dominated by men. Today, women represent about 20% of the energy workforce, primarily in administrative roles. Chile, for example, shows a clear gap in green talent: for every 100 men with these skills, there are only 59 women. In order to fully take advantage of this energy transition, inclusion measures are required to not only close these gaps, but also to build a diverse and competitive environment from the ground up.
Gender Equality: Beyond Numbers
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), CORFO and ChileMujeres developed a study that offers tools to monitor and promote gender inclusion in the green hydrogen sector. This comparative analysis of regulations and practices served as the basis for a gender evaluation protocol that CORFO will implement in projects seeking funding under the H2V Financial Program. This protocol aims not only to strengthen equity in the energy sector, but also to establish a framework for future evaluations in male-dominated industries.
The study identifies 14 key dimensions for evaluating gender plans and actions in the sector, including organizational commitment, female participation, recruitment, professional development, remuneration, training, job adaptability, parental co-responsibility, workplace harassment (both labor and sexual) , health, safety and infrastructure, among others.
These dimensions underscore that gender equality is about more than simply increasing the number of women; it requires examining their effective participation and real opportunities for development. Gender-disaggregated data are crucial for identifying barriers and design evidence-based policies that ensure true and sustainable inclusion.
An inclusive and competitive energy future in Chile
Incorporating gender equality in the green hydrogen sector is a strategy that strengthens the sector, boosts innovation, and promotes organizational resilience. Emerging sectors like this have the potential to establish new standards of equity and diversity. The gender mainstreaming strategy outlined in Chile’s H2V Action Plan is an example of how to integrate inclusion from the start. This strategy offers a replicable model of inclusion that can be adapted to other contexts based on four principles: sustainable labor trajectories, female leadership, reduction of training gaps, and a focus on safety and gender in affected communities.
Gender equality must be a cornerstone in the transition to a cleaner and fairer energy future. Sectors such as green hydrogen have the opportunity and responsibility to lead this change, laying the foundation for an inclusive, equitable and prosperous future for all people.
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