A third of all renewable energy jobs in Nigeria are held by women says a new study on gender inclusion in the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) workforce.
“Overall, the share of women in DRE was 41 percent in Kenya, 37 percent in Ethiopia and Nigeria, 28 percent in Uganda, and 21 percent in India,” the report said, by the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA).
Byencit Duncan, Senior Associate, Research, Clean Technology Hub, said intentional steps taken by corporate bodies on gender equity have helped put more women in the workforce.
“Some of these organisations go as far as carrying out training for women who are interested in the sector just to make sure that they have the skills,” she said.
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Meanwhile, the report shows that despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the worsening energy crisis, employment in renewable energy rose to 12.7 million globally last year, adding 700,000 new jobs in a single year.
Solar energy was found to be the fastest-growing sector providing 4.3 million jobs last year.
“In the face of numerous challenges, renewable energy jobs remain resilient, and have been proven to be a reliable job creation engine,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General.
