Transforming Gendered Interrelations of Power and Inequalities for Just Energy Systems

gEneSys advances understanding of gender & social inequalities in energy transition policies, processes & outcomes through new research & by closing knowledge gaps.

The Group of the Chief Scientific Advisers to the EU recommend that “the transition to carbon-neutrality must be just and fair”.

Just Transition Mechanism states that “in order to be successful and socially acceptable for all, the transition has to be fair and inclusive” & all possible mechanisms should be deployed to mitigate adverse consequences. The European Green Deal takes a narrow focus on mitigation: mostly male workers in the old fossil fuel sectors.

EGD includes the goal of “Supplying clean, affordable and secure energy”, which parallels SDG7 to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all”.

Like EGD, SDG7 is gender blind: it has no gender indicators or targets, even though “access” & “affordable” are concepts that hide multitude of power and gender inequality relations. gEneSys cooperate with partners in Africa to tackle the gender concerns in the EU’s and UN’s aims to transform energy & will show how to integrate gender perspectives into SDG7 for gender equality benefits. gEneSys will improve understanding of “intersectionality” through analysis of existing data and by collecting, analysing, and theorising original data collected through extensive surveys. gEneSys conceptualises energy transition as a dynamic, gendered, mission-oriented socio-technical innovation ecosystem with technological, policy, social, environmental, governance, & economic subsystems, each with its own sustainability visions, values, and priorities, as well as change actors and stakeholder.

The dynamic nature of energy transition ecosystem opens-up opportunities to give women & men the same chances to participate influence, & benefit from the changes.