Future of work

• Gender equity remains a pressing concern in Canada’s renewable energy sector. Women are significantly under-represented, particularly in STEM-related roles.
• Despite the potential of renewable energy to create jobs and address energy poverty, the conversation about gender equity in the sector is just beginning and lacks substance.
• To prioritize gender equity and maximize the benefits of renewable energy, Canada’s transition to a green economy urgently needs proactive policy measures, data collection, and gender-diverse research.

In this article, the authors conduct a comprehensive examination of women’s employment opportunities and constraints in the renewable energy (RE) sector in Canada. They employ a data-driven approach, collecting and thematically analyzing reliable data on women’s employment in RE. They also draw from a substantial body of feminist research for conceptual guidance and to develop an analytical framework.

The authors emphasize the urgent need to raise awareness of gender equity issues in Canada’s green economy, highlighting how the conversation is just beginning and still lacks substance. Globally, women constitute only 32% of the RE workforce, with an even lower representation in STEM-related RE jobs (28%). The shift to a green economy presents an opportunity to address gender disparities while creating new jobs and addressing energy poverty.

Despite the potential in the RE sector to generate significant employment opportunities, there is growing concern that women could become further marginalized if gender equity policies are not implemented proactively. This article calls for the federal government to take a leadership role in shaping gender equity policies in the RE sector and emphasizes the importance of collecting gender-specific data to inform policies and interventions.

The study concludes that gender equity and social justice considerations have not yet entered the mainstream public and policy discussions surrounding Canada’s transition to a green economy. Without concrete data and empirical evidence, gender equity remains largely invisible in the RE sector, hindering policy prioritization.

Overall, this article underscores the critical need to prioritize gender equity in Canada’s renewable energy sector—where women remain significantly under-represented—and serves as a crucial call to action to drive gender equity in Canada’s green economy.