Corporate Communication
28 June 2024
ReNew
Climate change is real and its effects are getting more pronounced with time. While the entire humankind is facing this crisis, what is critical to recognize is that women are far more vulnerable than men to the impact of climate change-related events. Factors such as drought and floods have a far-reaching impact on women than men on account of various social, cultural, and economic reasons. In fact, studies have estimated that women are 14 times more likelihood of dying in a disaster than men.1
In addition to socio-economic and cultural issues, the greater vulnerability of women to the effects of climate change is also closely tied to the gender gap, especially with respect to representation in climate action decision-making. Low participation of women in climate action, particularly in developing countries, prevents them from contributing to the development of innovative climate solutions, technologies, and policies. While women comprise nearly 50% of the world’s population, their voices are often inadequately represented in global climate change talks resulting in the neglect of gender-specific vulnerabilities linked to climate change.
One of the ways of addressing this is to bring about gender-neutral climate action policies by increasing the proportion of women in STEM occupations. According to the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report review of 146 countries, women make up only 29.2% of the STEM workforce despite accounting for 49.3%, or nearly half, of total employment in non-STEM occupations2. In the renewable energy sector, women accounted for only 32%3 of overall employment, according to a 2019 IRENA report. While it is encouraging that more and more female STEM graduates are joining the workforce, what makes it challenging is that their retention rates fall dramatically within a year of graduation. Issues like these need to be addressed if we want to drive gender parity and have collective contribution from all stakeholders towards sustainable development.
Gender equity is not only important for social justice but also critical for effective climate action. We must ensure that women are empowered to become active participants and partners in all climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Empowering women in diverse areas such as STEM, agriculture, industry, and services can have an important impact on climate action by providing them with the right tools and knowledge.
Furthermore, being the primary caregivers, women can play a crucial role in instilling positive environmental behaviors in their children. Empowering women can lead to a generation of change agents, which is the need of the hour.
Learn more about how ReNew is championing gender diversity in the renewable energy sector
ReNew, which is the leading decarbonisation solutions company, has taken the lead in promoting gender diversity in the renewable energy sector through its multiple initiatives. The company firmly believes that women have a critical role in addressing climate change and has been working towards equipping them with the right skill set and providing them with the relevant opportunities so that they can contribute effectively towards a sustainable future. Some of these initiatives include:
ReWIN – ReNew Women India Initiative
ReNew's ReWIN initiative empowers rural women in India by building capacity, promoting social empowerment, and encouraging entrepreneurship, while also cultivating a network of change agents and entrepreneurs.
ReNew Women Mentoring Program
ReNew launched the Women Mentoring Program to support personal and professional development of ReNew’s female employees and elevate them to leadership positions. Senior leaders in the organization serve as mentors to female mentees, offering direction and support.
Recruit HER
The Recruit HER initiative intends to actively hire women for middle and senior management positions while addressing biases through focused techniques. Our leadership and Talent Acquisition teams encourage women's recruiting, and hiring partners receive incentives for each woman hired.
Project Surya
ReNew has collaborated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) to train 1,000 low-income women salt-pan workers in Gujarat as solar technicians for the renewable energy sector.
G.O.L.D Program
ReNew has a flagship G.O.L.D (GigaWatts of Learning per Day) program for the Graduate Engineer Trainees (GETs) & Diploma Engineer Trainees (DETs) which provides a comprehensive 21 days induction and training & a year-long learning journey to impart technical, behavioral & functional capabilities to new hires including women GETs and DETs.
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