Glory Oguegbu | Economist Impact
Another barrier to entry is the lack of adequate awareness of the different STEM careers in renewable energy. Many women I have worked with believe that the only thing to do in the renewable-energy space is to install solar panels, but I make it clear that there are many opportunities to advance clean-energy solutions, including planning and designing solar projects, assembling solar panels and units, distribution of solar systems, educating others, or managing the sales and marketing department for a cleantech company (to name a few).
A further barrier is problems in retention and advancement of women already in the energy sector. Three-quarters of company boards are made up of men, and unequal pay still exists across the sector between men and women, which can be demoralising for women. Programmes like the Energy Sector Women’s Leadership Initiative (ESWLI) are set up to bridge the gender gap within the energy sector and equip women with essential skills and knowledge to thrive and grow in their careers.
Access to finance and markets must also be provided for women business leaders in the energy sector. An important part of the clean-energy transition is to invest in women-led renewable-energy initiatives which benefit both society and the environment. Research from the World Bank shows that female business leaders are better at taking climate into consideration in their business decisions, yet the International Finance Corporation estimates that only 7% of total private-equity and venture funding in emerging markets is targeted towards women-led businesses, and just 3% of philanthropic environmental funding supports girls and women’s environmental activism. The UN is leading conversations to ensure that there is a balance in funding women-led climate initiatives. Mentorships for women and access to networks and education are needed to curb some of these barriers.
Economist Impact: What is your advice for young girls interested in energy, STEM and sustainability?
Glory Oguegbu: What’s helped me most in my career is identifying opportunities early on and joining associations, then attending conferences where I could meet people in the sector. Energy-sector networks like the African Women in Energy Development Initiative (AWEDI), Women in Energy Network (WiEN), Women in Renewable Energy Nigeria (WIREN) and more have branches all over the world for different countries or cities. Locate one near you and meet like-minded women doing amazing work in the sector, hear about opportunities for training, engage in mentorships and participate in local projects.
You can also join general groups which include all genders, such as local energy or renewable-energy associations. As a member of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), I learnt about upskilling opportunities, national training programmes and opportunities to bid for government contracts that I otherwise would have never heard of.
If you’re a young student, identify and join student energy associations, or create a student energy think-tank in your school by reaching out to Student Energy—a global initiative working with youths and students in universities to expose them to the inner workings of building a career in the energy sector. Then connect to and attend conferences which talk about energy advancement. This will expose you early on to strategies for making a difference and give you the knowledge needed to carry alongside other young women.
Economist Impact: Are there any specific women working in clean energy who give you hope for the future?
Glory Oguegbu: Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organisation, shows me that a woman can reach one of the highest levels in this world with hard, smart work and grit. I admire women like Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) and co-chair of UN Energy. She gives me great hope for electricity access, especially for Africa and the global south. Under her leadership as the former CEO of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, more mini-grids were installed, providing electricity to thousands of Nigerians. She’s so young and yet has made a huge impact.
