Despite some progress in terms of gender equality, women and female-socialised individuals are underrepresented in decision-making processes. This is particularly evident in more technical and scientific areas such as the energy sector and in higher management structures of utility companies. 

In April 2023, WECF launched the project EUWES: Empowering Underrepresented Women in the Energy Sector. The aim is to tackle gender-specific barriers and strengthen the representation of women in all their diversity, especially in management positions, in the energy sector. Policy recommendations will be developed based on analyses of the national and local contexts in Germany, Croatia, Spain and Slovenia. A capacity-building programme will also be designed to expand the gender-specific knowledge and skills of women in the energy sector, decision-makers and stakeholders in the economic, labour and social sectors. The aim is to create national and transnational networks between women in the energy sector for mutual support and exchange. 

The first work package analyses the current status quo of gender equality in the respective national context, i.e. in the energy sector of the four partner countries Germany, Croatia, Spain and Slovenia. National policies and strategies in the areas of gender, energy, climate, economic and social affairs will be identified, as well as key stakeholders and target groups. Based on these findings, policy recommendations will be developed and communicated to political decision-makers to promote gender-transformative approaches in the economic, political and social sub-sectors of the energy sector. 

Furthermore, training materials will be developed that can be implemented by the project partners in workshops and passed on to stakeholders. The training courses are aimed at decision-makers in the energy and climate sector, as well as women in all their diversity already working in the energy sector and students of STEM subjects. Through communication campaigns, we aim to help break down gender-specific barriers in the energy sector in the four EU Member States.  

Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, Spain

Društvo za oblikovanje održivog razvoja (DOOR), FOCUS Društvo za sonaraven razvoj (FOCUS Association for Sustainable Development), Associacio Internacional de Ingenieria sin Fronteras ISF / ESF