Gender Diversity in the Wind and Solar Energy Industries in South Africa
Keywords: Gender diversity, women participation in wind and solar utility-scale projects, science-engineering training, barriers to entry, career progression and retention | Study published: January 2024
The study looks at gender diversity in the utility-scale wind and solar industries in South Africa. It provides insights into women participation in these sectors, compares choice of science-engineering degrees taken by men and women in local tertiary education institutions, describes barriers to entry into the market, career progression and retention.
There is an openness within the wind and solar sectors to embrace gender diversity, with some creative initiatives, underway. It is also encouraging to see that many in these sectors have moved beyond the female/male binary to embrace non-binary identities when discussing gender, and to reflect on what this means for gender diversity and the changes that need to be made in the sectors.
- Increase awareness, at secondary and tertiary level, of the utility-scale solar and wind energy sectors as a feasible career option for all genders
- Diversify the recruitment process
- Ensure more women and non-binary people enter senior leadership through establishing and promoting targeted career development and coaching programmes and removing promotion biases
The study is a result of the Climate and Energy Partnership
