This guide outlines the challenges facing women entrepreneurs in the energy sector, and how to overcome them.
As the interest in the energy sector heats up, so are the entrepreneurial opportunities. For instance, in the U.S., the Department of Energy has awarded
$54 million to 266 clean energy businesses. However, even though entrepreneurism in the energy sector is increasing the industry remains volatile.
Interestingly, women continue to be underrepresented in the energy sector and continue to face challenges in getting into it as entrepreneurs or even in the
renewable energy jobs sector.
Challenges in the energy sector
Access Targeted Funding For Women In Energy
One of the main barriers for female entrepreneurs in the energy sector is the lack of financing for female startups, or rather the lack of access to it. In the IEA’s report,
Seven Women Entrepreneurs Of Solar Energy, challenges with securing funding were commonly cited as a roadblock for all female entrepreneurs interviewed.
This continues to hinder the number of women in the industry and highlights the need for greater gender-focused finance initiatives. It also comes as no surprise since women generally grapple with securing finance as entrepreneurs.
On the bright side, there are now several financing initiatives aimed at women in the energy industry including The Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program and The Amber Foundation Grant.
Access Targeted Training On Local Laws And Energy Policies
Female entrepreneurs in the energy sector also experience a lack of training and knowledge on local energy laws, legislation, and skills. In fact, many women leave the energy industry due to a lack of training opportunities.
New entrepreneurs in the energy industry also need to educate themselves on local legislation for workplace accidents. Without it, instances of an
oil rig accident can leave both the business and entrepreneur vulnerable to legal and financial ramifications.
To prepare yourself to join the world of energy sector entrepreneurs, find and attend training opportunities such as The Department of Energy’s workshop: “Path to an Inclusive Energy Transition in the APEC Region: How to Enhance Women’s Empowerment in the Energy Field.”
You can also explore non-profit associations like Women in Energy to connect with mentors. The
ENERGIA Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) program employed across Nigeria, Indonesia, and Kenya is another example of an initiative that is helping to train women in the technical and managerial facets of entrepreneurism in the energy industry.
Network Your Way To Brand And Business Presence
The importance of networking cannot be understated for any business entrepreneur.
According to The WorldBank, a well-built network can mean greater collaboration efforts, enhanced credibility, and greater funding opportunities- a key issue faced by budding female entrepreneurs in the energy industry.
When done right, networking can also allow women to connect with successful mentors in the industry. Building partnerships is critical to succeeding in the energy industry.
Joining female networking associations in the networking industry like The Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition, Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) and Female Founders Alliance is a good place to start.
Prominent women in the energy sector
More and more women have been gaining prominence in technical areas of the energy sector, building lines and substations, operating networks, managing electricians and directing teams. Several companies highlight the search for gender equality in the corporate sector.
As is the case with Copel, which reported that it has 1,511 employees in its staff, 105 women occupying management positions, a group of which electrical engineer Suzane Vivian Fritzen Puchta is part. She coordinates the work at the Integrated Distribution Center, from where she controls the supply of energy to the 4.8 million Copel consumers throughout Paraná, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
At EDP, increasing the female presence in the workforce and leadership positions is among the goals to promote inclusion and expand diversity. By 2022, the company established a commitment to have at least 20% of women in leadership, and 30% of women in the overall workforce.
In February, the company announced Fernanda Pires as the executive responsible for the newly created vice presidency of People and ESG, a chair focused on strengthening the incorporation of environmental, social and corporate governance issues into business and increasing its integration into decision-making processes. She is the first woman to occupy a vice presidency at EDP, in Brazil.
At Pöyry, a European engineering, projects and consulting company, female participation has been continuously increasing and already represents 24.5% of the team of employees, an expressive index in the Engineering sector.
The company points out that if a vacancy is being disputed by two people on technical equal terms and one of them is a woman, Pöyry gives preference to hiring her. In addition, they seek to internally develop female leaders.
The Energisa Group brings together stories of overcoming and professional recognition of employees who perform functions who, until recently, were predominantly male. The company highlighted that it has a very great cultural diversity, and it is natural that this diversity is also reflected in its structure.
For the future, it is possible to see a very promising path where women will have an even larger space. And he stressed that in addition to being very competent, women can give more attention to the client because they are more careful.
Enel highlights that gender equality, as well as corporate diversity, is at the basis of its Open Power approach, which advocates the empowerment of women throughout their journey in the organization, from initial levels to managerial functions, with special attention to work-life well-being integration. For this reason, Enel was included in the ranking of TOP 100 global companies for gender equity, developed by Equileap.
At Isa Cteep, in addition to encouraging discussions of improvement around diversity and inclusion, some kick-offs have already been given. In 2020, the executive board was renewed and, today, 40% of it is made up of women. As is the case with Gabriela Desiré, the first woman to hold the position of Executive Director of Operations of the company.
Conclusion
The good news is that although there are barriers to female entrepreneurship in the energy sector, there are also a lot of opportunities for women to be successful. The key lies in tackling the common challenges head-on: improving access to financing for women, providing them with greater networking opportunities in the industry, and presenting more educational platforms to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful female entrepreneur in energy.
