Gender diversity in solar - more than just a nice to have

South Africa’s renewables energy sector has flourished over the past decade, with increased investment leading to job creation, and skills development. But are we still operating in a traditional manner when it comes to the employment of women across the renewable value chain?

This is just one of the questions that will be debated at the forthcoming Solar Power Africa conference in a session where attendees will hear from 4 leading women operating at senior levels in South Africa’s renewable sector.

The conference will hear from Karen de Bruyn (Head of Development G7 Renewable Energies), Elizabeth Marabwa (Chief Director responsible for Programmes and Projects and oversee Gender Mainstreaming and Transformation at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy), Nomfundo Mbijekana (Electrical Manager Enertronica) and Nomawethu Qase (Director responsible for Renewable Energy Initiatives at the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy).

Their perspectives will shine a light on the impact and value that increasing participation of women can bring.

Global surveys conducted by IRENA indicated that women represent only 32% of the renewable energy sector workforce. Both are considerably below the level of women's participation in the overall economy's workforce (44%).

“Here in South Africa, we already faced the challenge of improving female participation in the lab our market in general, with the labor market much more favorable to men than it is for women,” says Joshua Low, at Messe Frankfurt South Africa

According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey of the 2nd quarter of 2021, men are more likely to be in paid employment than women regardless of race, while women are more likely than men to be doing unpaid work.

The rate of unemployment among women was 36,8% in the 2nd quarter of 2021 compared to 32,4% amongst men according to the official definition of unemployment. The unemployment rate among black African women was 41,0% during this period compared to 8,2% among white women, 22,4% among Indian/Asian women and 29,9% among coloured women.

“Decreasing participation of women in the workforce is being further compounded by COVID-19. We have seen that the economic sectors in which women work have few incentives and protective measures for unemployment. This now puts at risk the progress made towards achieving gender equality across the South African workforce.”

“All is not lost however,” adds Low, “Renewables and solar PV in particular offer significant opportunities for women right across the value chain. In fact, the diverse roles of the panellists is a testament to the range of opportunities available in this dynamic sector.”

As well as the opportunity to carve out a successful career, bringing more women into the industry will reap dividends for South Africa’s solar value chain.

Research has consistently shown that companies benefit from a diverse range of opinions and perspectives.

Bank of America Global research showed that companies with higher numbers of women in senior management saw a 30% higher return on equity, demonstrating the power of diverse perspectives to drive not just innovation but also financial return.

How we move forward, how we create opportunities and how we nurture female talent in an inclusive clean energy transition, will all be discussed at the ‘Why women mean business’ session on the 16th February.

The Minister of Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Hon. Gwede Mantashe launched the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality (WEGE) Strategy and implementation plan for the Energy Sector in August 2021. The strategy was developed ​ to provide the strategic guidelines on the economic empowerment of women and transformation and gender mainstreaming in the energy sector. The strategy is in line with the vision of the National Development Plan to ensure the provision of secure, sustainable, and affordable energy, full participation of women in the energy sector as business owners, leaders, investors, researchers, and employees.

Karen de Bruyn, Elizabeth Marabwa, Nomfundo Mbijekana and Nomawethu Qase are just three of the speakers at Solar Power Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 16-18 February 2022.

The event will include 18 sessions with over 70 top speakers, as well as an exhibition with 60+ exhibitors. ​

To find out more about the event, you can visit the website at https://solarpowerafrica.za.messefrankfurt.com/capetown/en.html

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Issued by HWB Communications Pty Ltd on behalf of South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA).

EDITORS NOTES

• Organised by Messe Frankfurt, and in partnership with the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), Solar Power Africa is a 3-day event where attendees will benefit from direct access to expert insights and solutions to a range of challenges, as well as key trends and developments in the renewable energy market.
• Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organizers and employs more than 2,500 employees across 30 different locations globally. The South African office has an experienced staff complement of over 35 team members with established marketing, sales and operational capabilities.
• The event is presented in partnership with two of the largest solar power and related industry shows in the world - Solar Power Events (SPE), the premier organizer for energy events throughout North America and SNEC, the world’s largest PV trade show based in Shanghai, China.