The Role of Women in Sustainable Energy Development

This paper, originally prepared to address the concerns of renewable energy technical experts at the World Renewable Energy Congress, reviews the literature on women’s involvement in renewable energy and presents some examples of the results of including or excluding women in renewable energy development. It addresses four questions: Why do women need renewable energy? Are women really interested in renewable energy technologies (RETs)? Will women automatically benefit from RETs? Why is a gender perspective relevant in the energy sector