Globally, women face barriers to entering and advancing their careers in the renewable energy industry. But some South African women are working to change that as they lead the development of some of the country's major renewable energy projects.
According to a 2019 survey by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), women globally account for less than a third (32%) of jobs in the renewable energy industry. Women's involvement in jobs related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is even less at 28%.
Limiting perceptions of gender roles influenced by cultural and social norms is one of the main barriers. Views on gender roles impact hiring practices and also the networks and information women have access to in order to advance their careers, according to the IRENA report.
