WORK & EDUCATION

Critical Workers and Innovators: Women’s Role in the Clean Energy Economy

The online magazine Center for American Progress published an article titled Women’s Role in the Clean Energy Economy - Women Will Be Critical Workers and Innovators of the Future. It documents the integral role of women in the green economy. Women are needed in this sector of economy to pull the USA out of the recession and compete in the new economy on a global scale. The article gives three diverse sectors where women can play a significant role: green collar jobs, engineering, and entrepreneurship.

Green collar jobs are all jobs abound in the clean energy economy. Yet women face significant barriers to accessing necessary education and training programs, but some institutions offers such programs especially for women. Examples are the Vermont Works for Women project and Women Going Green.

The green economy of USA needs highly trained, highly skilled scientists and engineers for research, development and innovation. Center for American Progress focuses that women can and should be included in this sector – the author understands the integration of women as a necessity for competitiveness compared with rising nations such as China and India.

Women-owned businesses realize big profits and employ 16% of all workers in the USA. There are potential for robust demand within the clean energy economy, but founding a company is a big challenge, especially for women: access to startup capital and financing is one of the biggest challenges facing women entrepreneurs, along with access to business networks, supply chains, and technical expertise. Women Going Green is one example of a successful community-based organization helping link women to these resources.

This article abstracts the situation of women in the green economy of the United States very well, but it mentioned competitiveness as the only necessity for gender equality. What a pity...