Gender Parity and the Green Economy

In a world increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and climate change, the concept of the green economy emerges as a beacon of hope, promising not only to curb carbon emissions and pollution but also to foster social equity and prevent the loss of biodiversity. This transformative economic model is poised to create around 24 million jobs by 2030, according to the International Labor Organization, ?presenting an unprecedented opportunity for women to gain a significant foothold in various sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, energy, transportation, and construction. Imagine a future where women are at the forefront of these industries, driving the shift towards sustainability and innovation.

Empowering women in the green economy is not just an ethical imperative but a catalyst for accelerating economic growth and achieving sustainable development goals. Women play indispensable roles in ensuring Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education, Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. For women to become effective agents of change, gender-sensitive policies are crucial. These policies must ensure that women have access to education, healthcare, and financial services while guaranteeing their representation in decision-making processes. More women in leadership roles will pave the way for more inclusive and equitable growth.

A 2021 UNIDO report from the global program “Economic Empowerment of Women in Green Industry” underscores the need for gender-responsive industrial policies. This report, which examines the experiences of women entrepreneurs in Peru, Cambodia, Senegal, and South Africa, highlights common barriers to starting green businesses. These barriers include limited access to financial services and funding, scarce resources and information for new ventures, technological gaps, competitive disadvantages against conventional industries, and a lack of incentives for green industries. Addressing these challenges through robust government policies is essential for ensuring greater female participation in the green economy. Empowered women, whether as workers or entrepreneurs, can drive the growth of the green economy and significantly contribute to sustainable development. Financially empowered women can also impact consumption patterns since more disposable income translates into more spending on household items and personal care products.??

??Interventions at the community level for meaningful engagement of women in green economies, both in the formal and informal sectors, are extremely important for sustainable economic growth, especially in emerging economies.

?Community level interventions can go a long way not only in finding localized solutions to socio-economic problems but also in allowing women to participate in meaningful and productive ways for enhancing their financial freedom. Creating decent work for rural women can have a great impact on alleviating poverty, and providing social protection. Green jobs can be created in sectors such as organic agriculture, renewable energy, eco-tourism and recycling of agricultural waste.?

There is greater dependency of the rural communities on natural ecosystems for earning their livelihood. Therefore, they are also more vulnerable to climate change and environmental hazards. Women tend to be even more vulnerable. Their access to resources is limited and they lack adequate social protection. It is very important to develop projects that help vulnerable rural communities, especially women, through using local resources, knowledge and capacities, to enhance resilience to natural disasters and environmental hazards.

??An ADB sponsored Technical Assistance program, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Fiji, trained women in carpentry skills for constructing disaster-resilient homes. This also helped to create employment opportunities for women in the male-dominated construction sector. Another inspiring project is the Green Amayaga Project in Rwanda’s Nyanza district, which aims to restore degraded forests and improve sustainable land management from 2020 to 2025. This project emphasizes biodiversity, community resilience, and the creation of green jobs. Of the 1.3 million people expected to benefit from the project, the majority are women and young people. Such initiatives demonstrate the profound impact of empowering women at the grassroots level and fostering sustainable development through community-driven solutions.

?The private sector has to play a pivotal role to complement public sector efforts for creating green jobs for women, through both formal and informal work. Gender inequalities in supply chains of businesses need to be identified, and upskilling and reskilling of women for green jobs has to be prioritized. Transitioning to green economies will change the landscape of traditional work opportunities, and ensuring that women are not adversely affected by this change is critical.

?In the absence of timely action by governments, multilateral agencies and the private sector, the gender gap could further increase as women lose their jobs and face barriers of entry in the green economy arena. A holistic approach for addressing, social, structural and economic barriers for women’s access to green jobs is essential. Government policies need to ensure that businesses integrate gender equality into their organizational structures. The private sector also needs to ensure that women workers are adequately protected and that transition to green practices facilitates adaptation of the female workforce to new ways of doing their work.

?Women in leadership roles bear the responsibility of safeguarding the interests of female employees across sectors. Access to training, skill development, and capacity-building programs must be guaranteed to prepare women for future jobs. Increased funding for community-level green projects that aim to alleviate poverty, mitigate climate change, and provide women with greater access to green jobs is a shared responsibility of both public and private sectors. Through these efforts, women can truly become the catalysts of a sustainable and equitable green economy.

In envisioning the future, we must recognize that the transition to a green economy is not merely a technological or economic shift but a profound social transformation. Women, with their unique perspectives and capacities, are central to this transition. By breaking down the barriers that hinder their participation and fostering an environment of inclusion and opportunity, we can unlock the full potential of the green economy. This journey towards a greener, more equitable future is a collective endeavor that requires the commitment and collaboration of governments, businesses, and communities alike.

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