Gender Inequality and Renewable Energy: How women's interests and lack of participation leading to women marginalization in renewable energy in Indonesia

Alya Antasya, Rekha Kersana
10.14203/jissh.v13i2.263
| Abstract views: 84 | views: 33

Abstract

The discussion on gender within the realm of renewable energy has not been extensively explored. This article aims to elucidate the forms of gender inequality that occur in the renewable energy sector and the factors contributing to the low participation of women, despite their high interest and concern for environmental and energy issues. This article employs the Feminist Climate Justice framework to examine this issue, including case studies of women's participation in the renewable energy sector in two rural areas of Indonesia, namely South Papua and Nusa Tenggara. The findings of this article assert that the gender inequality occurring within the energy sector, specifically the marginalization of women, is not due to a lack of interest or competence in the energy field. Instead, several other factors are at play, such as cultural norms and customs, societal stigma/stereotypes towards women, the double burden, an unsupportive environment, and renewable energy policies that have not comprehensively addressed the concept of just transition and active women's participation.

Keywords

women; marginalization; renewable energy; gender inequality; just energy transition

Full Text:

PDF

References

Ambrey, C., Byrne, J., Matthews, T., Davison, A., Portanger, C., & Lo, A. (2017). Cultivating climate justice: Green infrastructure and suburban disadvantage in Australia. Applied Geography, 89, 52–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.10.002

Annur, N. H. A., & Ramadhan, F. (2023, March 16). Mengupayakan Transisi Energi yang Adil melalui Proyek Pro Women for Renewable Energy. Yayasan Rumah Energi. Retrieved from https://www.rumahenergi.org/2023/03/16/mengupayakan-transisi-energi-yang-adil-melalui-proyek-pro-women-for-renewable-energy.html

Arora-Jonsson, S. (2011). Virtue and vulnerability: Discourses on women, gender and climate change. Global Environmental Change, 21(2), 744–751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.01.005

Baptiste, A. K., & Rhiney, K. (2016). Climate justice and the Caribbean: An introduction. Geoforum, 73, 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2016.04.008

Bond, P. (2011). Politics of Climate Justice; Paralysis Above, Movement Below. Jinju.

Bonnin, D., Friedman, M., & Todes, A. (2016). Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale: Women in the International Division of Labour. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.1989.9675070

BPSDMI. (2018). Mematahkan Bias, BPSDMI dan Prospera Gelar Webinar Hari Perempuan. Retrieved October 18, 2023, from Kementerian Perindustrian website: https://bpsdmi.kemenperin.go.id/2022/03/14/mematahkan-bias-bpsdmi-dan-prospera-gelar-webinar-hari-perempuan/

Bryan, E., Alvi, M., Huyer, S., & Ringler, C. (2023). Addressing Gender Inequalities and Strengthening Women’s Agency to Create More Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems (No. 13).

Buechler, S., & Hanson, A.-M. S. (2015). A Political Ecology of Women, Water, and Global Environmental Change. Routledge.

Cecelski, E. (2000). The Role of Women in Sustainable Energy Development. Retrieved from http://www.doe.gov/bridge

Cohen, M. G. (2017). Climate Change and Gender in Rich Countries (1st ed.). London: Routledge.

de Groot, J., Mohlakoana, N., Knox, A., & Bressers, H. (2017). Fuelling women’s empowerment? An exploration of the linkages between gender, entrepreneurship and access to energy in the informal food sector. Energy Research and Social Science, 28, 86–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.04.004

Dewanti, E. (2022, February 11). Becoming Srikandi: The Indonesian Wonder Women of Renewable Energy. Retrieved October 18, 2023, from UNDP website: https://www.undp.org/indonesia/news/becoming-srikandi-indonesian-wonder-women-renewable-energy

Ekawati, A. (2021, April 21). Ketimpangan Gender di Bidang Iptek di Indonesia. Indonesia: DW. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/id/indonesia-butuh-lebih-banyak-perempuan-di-bidang-iptek/a-57271473

Emmons Allison, J., McCrory, K., & Oxnevad, I. (2019). Closing the renewable energy gender gap in the United States and Canada: The role of women’s professional networking. Energy Research and Social Science, 55, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.03.011

Fingleton-Smith, E. (2018). The lights are on but no (men) are home. The effect of traditional gender roles on perceptions of energy in Kenya. Energy Research and Social Science, 40, 211–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.006

Fraser, N. (1998). “From Redistribution to Recognition? Dilemmas of Justice in a ‘Post-Socialist’ Age.” Feminism And Politics: Oxford Readings In Feminism, 430–460. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782063.003.0021

Fraune, C. (2015). Gender matters: Women, renewable energy, and citizen participation in Germany. Energy Research and Social Science, 7, 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.02.005

Fuller, S. (2017). Configuring climate responsibility in the city: carbon footprints and climate justice in Hong Kong. Area, 49(4), 519–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12341

GAWIREA. (2023). GAWIREA For sustainable energy. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from GAWIREA website: https://gawirea.com/?page_id=52

Gearty, C. (2014). An interview with Mary Robinson, President of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice. Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, 5(0), 18–21.

Gielen, D., Boshell, F., Saygin, D., Bazilian, M. D., Wagner, N., & Gorini, R. (2019). The role of renewable energy in the global energy transformation. Energy Strategy Reviews, 24, 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2019.01.006

Hamilton, K. (2018). Ecofeminism as Politics: Nature, Marx, and the Postmodern. Socialism and Democracy, 32(2), 160–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854300.2018.1509619

Harding, S. (2006). Science and Social Inequality: Feminist and Postcolonial Issues.

Hovorka, A. J. (2006). The No. 1 ladies’ poultry farm: A feminist political ecology of urban agriculture in Botswana. Gender, Place and Culture, 13(3), 207–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/09663690600700956

Hultman, M., & Pulé, P. M. (2018). Ecological Masculinities Theoretical Foundations and Practical Guidance (1st ed.). London: Routledge.

IESR. (2021, July 26). Women in Energy: Ensuring the Presence of Gender Equity and Equality in Energy Sector. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from Institute for Essential Service Reform (IESR) website: https://iesr.or.id/en/women-in-energy-ensuring-the-presence-of-gender-equity-and-equality-in-energy-sector

International Energy Agency. (2022). CO2 Emissions in 2022. Retrieved from www.iea.org

Johnson, O. W., Gerber, V., & Muhoza, C. (2019). Gender, culture and energy transitions in rural Africa. Energy Research and Social Science, 49, 169–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.11.004

Kaijser, A., & Kronsell, A. (2014). Climate change through the lens of intersectionality. Environmental Politics, 23(3), 417–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2013.835203

Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia. (2019). SEMAI Untuk Keadilan dan Demokrasi: Perempuan dan Energi Terbarukan.

Kortetmäki, T. (2016). Reframing Climate Justice: A Three-dimensional View on Just Climate Negotiations. Ethics, Policy and Environment, 19(3), 320–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/21550085.2016.1226238

Koty, A. C. (2023, January 2). Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership: Impacts for the Green Economy. Retrieved October 18, 2023, from ASEAN Briefing website: https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/indonesias-just-energy-transition-partnership/

Kristanto, L. (2018). LEVERAGING THE POTENTIAL OF WOMEN MICROENTREPRENEURS IN DELIVERING CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS: THE WONDER WOMEN EASTERN INDONESIA PROGRAM.

Lanza Rivers, D. (2017). Ghost Stories for Darwin: The Science of Variation and the Politics of Diversity, by Banu Subramaniam. Women’s Studies, 46(6), 600–602. https://doi.org/10.1080/00497878.2017.1380959

Leach, M., Mehta, L., & Prabhakaran, P. (2016). GENDER EQUALITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A PATHWAYS APPROACH.

Lieu, J., Sorman, A. H., Johnson, O. W., Virla, L. D., & Resurrección, B. P. (2020). Three sides to every story: Gender perspectives in energy transition pathways in Canada, Kenya and Spain. Energy Research and Social Science, 68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101550

Macgregor, S. (2010). A stranger silence still: the need for feminist social research on climate change.

McCauley, D., & Heffron, R. (2018). Just transition: Integrating climate, energy and environmental justice. Energy Policy, 119, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.04.014

Melin, A., Magnusdottir, G. L., & Baard, P. (2022). Energy Politics and Justice: An Ecofeminist Ethical Analysis of the Swedish Parliamentarian Debate. Ethics, Policy and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1080/21550085.2022.2115752

Mihr, A. (2017). Climate change, migration and human rights. In Climate Change, Migration and Human Rights (1st Edition, p. 25). Routledge.

Muamar, A. (2022, August 30). GAWIREA: Mendorong Peran Perempuan Wujudkan Energi Berkelanjutan di Desa Melalui Pendidikan. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from green network website: https://greennetwork.id/unggulan/gawirea-mendorong-peran-perempuan-wujudkan-energi-berkelanjutan-di-desa-melalui-pendidikan/

Nagel, J. (2012). Intersecting identities and global climate change. Identities, 19(4), 467–476. https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289x.2012.710550

Newell, P. (2022). Climate justice. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 49(5), 915–923. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2022.2080062

Nikiema, P. R. (2017). Impact of school feeding programmes on educational outcomes: evidence from dry cereals in schools in Burkina Faso (No. 2017/182). UNU-WIDER. https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2017/408-7

Oktafiana, S., Laazulva, I., Christann, Y. I., & Saptariani, N. (2023). Laporan Hasil Penelitian Peran dan Partisipasi Perempuan pada Sektor Energi Terbarukan di Provinsi Maluku.

Osunmuyiwa, O., & Ahlborg, H. (2019). Inclusiveness by design? Reviewing sustainable electricity access and entrepreneurship from a gender perspective. Energy Research and Social Science, 53, 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.03.010

Pachauri, S., & Rao, N. D. (2013). Gender impacts and determinants of energy poverty: Are we asking the right questions? Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 5(2), 205–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2013.04.006

Paulson, S., Gezon, L. L., & Watts, M. (2003). Locating the Political in Political Ecology: An Introduction. 62(3), 205–217.

Pueyo, A., & Maestre, M. (2019, July 1). Linking energy access, gender and poverty: A review of the literature on productive uses of energy. Energy Research and Social Science, Vol. 53, pp. 170–181. Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.02.019

Routledge, P., Cumbers, A., & Derickson, K. D. (2018). States of just transition: Realising climate justice through and against the state. Geoforum, 88, 78–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.11.015

Shaw, C. (2016). The role of rights, risks and responsibilities in the climate justice debate. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 8(4), 505–519. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2014-0127

Skillington, T. (2017). Climate Justice and Human Rights. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Skutsch, M. M. (2005). Gender analysis for energy projects and programmes. Energy for Sustainable Development, 9(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0973-0826(08)60481-0

SuaraNTB.com. (2023, November 28). YRE Gelar Learning Event Pro Women Untuk Energi Terbarukan, Bangkitkan Ekonomi Perempuan Di NTB. Retrieved December 15, 2023, from SuaraNTB.com website: https://www.suarantb.com/2023/11/28/yre-gelar-learning-event-pro-women-untuk-energi-terbarukan-bangkitkan-ekonomi-perempuan-di-ntb/

Terry, G. (2009). No climate justice without gender justice: An overview of the issues. Gender and Development, 17(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552070802696839

True, J. (2003). Mainstreaming gender in global public policy. International Feminist Journal of Politics, Vol. 5, pp. 368–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461674032000122740

USAID. (2021). ASSESSMENT OF WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA - INDONESIA COUNTRY CHAPTER.

Winther, T., Ulsrud, K., & Saini, A. (2018). Solar powered electricity access: Implications for women’s empowerment in rural Kenya. Energy Research and Social Science, 44, 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.04.017

YJP. (2016, November). Status Perempuan dalam STEM (Sains, Teknologi, Engineering, Matematika). Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, Vol. 21, pp. 3–4. Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14203/jissh.v13i2.263
Copyright (c) 2024 Alya Antasya
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.