gender representation in the caribbean sustainable energy
TRANSCRIPT
University of Calgary
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Graduate Studies Graduate Capstones
2018
Gender Representation In The Caribbean Sustainable
Energy Sector
Bourns, Ryan
Bourns, R. (2018). Gender Representation In The Caribbean Sustainable Energy Sector
(Unpublished report). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.
http://hdl.handle.net/1880/109765
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UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
Gender Representation in the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Sector
by
Ryan Bourns
A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
GRADUATE PROGRAM IN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
CALGARY, ALBERTA
AUGUST, 2018
© Ryan Bourns 2018
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ABSTRACT
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals state gender equality and clean energy
development as fundamental goals of our world. This paper will address these two goals and how
they relate. The following research will aim to answer the question: What are the barriers to
achieving more proportional gender representation in the Caribbean sustainable energy sector?
In seeking to answer the research question above, there was a literature review of associated
topics. Following this, interviews were conducted with individuals directly involved in Caribbean
sustainable energy development. Key issues were elucidated through these interviews. Finally,
academic theories and research was applied to the common trends and issues identified. The
findings and analysis from this research show that some of the barriers to equal gender
representation in the sector are; the region’s energy needs relative to the supply, institutional
theory, and industry misconceptions.
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AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Firstly, I would like to thank the supportive staff at Cuso International. This project was borne
out of initiatives they have been investigating, and they are the reason I chose to take on this
topic. They were helpful along the way from helping to frame this topic, to supplying me with
helpful contacts.
Next, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. David Ince. The insight and support you provided
made much of this research project possible. Your expertise in this field, and the Caribbean
region, shone through throughout the duration of this project.
Lastly, I would like to share my appreciation for those interviewed during this project. I consider
myself lucky to have had conversations with respected experts in the Caribbean sustainable
energy sector. Each conversation brought new understanding to this topic. I am grateful for the
selflessness displayed by each interviewee who was willing to give up their time to discuss
personal accounts and details on this topic.
Thank you to all those involved for your support throughout.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Approval Page ................................................................................................................................................ i
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... ii
Aknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iv
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. v
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ v
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Company and Project Background ................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Goal and Scope ................................................................................................................................... 3
1.3 Multidisciplinary Aspects .................................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 2: Literature Review ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Women in the workplace .................................................................................................................. 12
2.2 Energy policy ..................................................................................................................................... 13
2.3 Gender policy .................................................................................................................................... 14
2.4 Women in energy .............................................................................................................................. 15
2.5 Case examples ................................................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 3: Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 19
Chapter 4: Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 26
Chapter 5: Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 34
5.1 Needs Theory .................................................................................................................................... 34
5.2 Institutional Theory ........................................................................................................................... 36
5.3 Industry Misconceptions ................................................................................................................... 43
Chapter 6: Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 46
Chapter 7: Discussion, Limitations, & Future Research .............................................................................. 48
7.1 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................... 48
7.2 Limitations ......................................................................................................................................... 51
7.3 Future Research ................................................................................................................................ 52
References .................................................................................................................................................. 53
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1. INTERVIEWEES 21
TABLE 2. INTERVIEW FINDINGS 32
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1. FREI'S (2004) HIERARCHY OF ENERGY POLICY 35
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
As countries move toward a more sustainable energy future, there will be new career
opportunities emerging in which citizens can become involved. Unfortunately, these
opportunities may not be equally distributed between genders. As part of Cuso International’s
new initiatives, they would like to investigate this potential disparity in Caribbean nations. To
assist with this initiative, I investigated the barriers to more proportional gender representation
in sustainable energy development initiatives in the Caribbean.
1.1 COMPANY AND PROJECT BACKGROUND
This research project topic was initiated by Cuso International as a complement to a larger
project the organization was working on. Cuso International is a Canadian based organization
focused on sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and reducing inequality around the
world. Starting as a group of graduate students, Canadian University Students Overseas (Cuso
International, 2018a) has grown into a vast network of professionals and volunteers with focus
areas in; Community, Health, and Livelihood. With over 60 years of experience working in the
Caribbean, they have extensive knowledge and connections in that region (Cuso International,
2018a).
Cuso International's project, Women in Renewable Energy Development (WIRED), is
aiming to "leverage opportunities for women across the entire renewable energy sector value
chain" in the Caribbean. The WIRED project will be approached on multiple levels; National
Policy, Corporate Board/ Management, Formal Employment, and Entrepreneurship levels. Cuso,
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as it often does, will leverage their extensive partners network and rely on past project
experience. Renewable energy is a newer sector for Cuso International, but this project will help
address; CARICOM's goal of achieving 48% of energy produced by renewable energy sources by
2027, United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7 of Affordable and Clean Energy , as well
as Canadian goals of targeting environment and climate change. The work of this Major Research
Project will help identify barriers that hinder opportunities for women in the Caribbean
sustainable energy sector. From this, Cuso International will have a greater understanding of how
to proceed with their own WIRED project (Cuso International, 2018b).
Cuso International has done an effective job of identifying the need for a project such as
WIRED. In the Caribbean, 87% of power generation comes from imported fossil fuels. Caribbean
nations are committed to changing this but understand that there are barriers that prevent an
effective transition. In addition to the barriers for an effective sustainable energy transition, there
are challenges that have led to women being under-represented in the energy sector.
International evidence from other sectors show that integrating women leads to even more
benefits for the sector itself. As has been mentioned, this project will address two of the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals, gender equality and clean energy development. These
goals are important steps to achieving a prosperous future for all. In recent times, more projects
have been aimed at considering goals from a multi criteria perspective, slowly agencies and
organizations are recognising that it is important to understand that these goals are not to be
looked at in isolation or as mutually exclusive to other goals. The development of a new sector,
the sustainable energy sector, is the perfect opportunity to learn how best to address the two
important goals mentioned above. Similarly, the Caribbean has not received the same attention
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as other regions in this regard and therefore stands to benefit from this kind of analysis and wider
scope of consideration. In working with Cuso International, I had the opportunity to gain
significant understanding in to the factors that mitigate against the achievement of gender
equality in the important and emerging industry of sustainable energy. This project will address
two of the world’s most pressing issues at this time; clean energy and gender equality. Overall,
this research project has the potential to provide extremely valuable information to NGOs such
as Cuso International, but also prominent organizations, such as electric utilities and national oil
companies, who stand to improve their organization’s performance. This topic is an important
aspect of sustainable development and deserves further examination and study. This research
provides an additional level of insight.
1.2 GOAL AND SCOPE
The goal of this research is to understand the reasons behind the gender disparity within
the sustainable energy industry in the Caribbean. It is important to outline the parameters that
this research will consider. For the purposes of this research paper, the term “Caribbean” will be
used to describe the Caribbean islands and other nearby South American and Central American
countries that are considered to be politically part of the Caribbean. While this study is aiming to
look at the entire Caribbean region, it is also understood that each nation will have its own
circumstances that will likely contribute to unique factors. Not all Caribbean countries were
represented within the interview process, and this limits the extent to which results of the study
could be generalised for the entire region.
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The sustainable energy sector is the industry that was investigated in this study. The
“Sustainable Energy sector” incorporates employment that relates to renewable energy, energy
efficiency, or job areas that play a part in reducing carbon emissions from their current carbon
intensity within a generation, manufacturing or distribution process.
“Gender”, for the sake of this research discussion, will be defined as either ‘male’ or ‘female’ as
this is the manner in which they are identified in employment data. It is important to consider
the dynamics between genders in this research, and not look at one gender’s perspectives, issues,
and experiences in isolation.
An important concept that has emerged in development studies is “Gender
Mainstreaming”. The United Nations Development Programme (2007) describes this term as a
“strategy for making women's and men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension in
plans, to enhance benefits and ensure inequality does not get perpetuated”. In gender
mainstreaming it is equally important to both understand the unique and shared perspectives of
genders and to strategically address those needs. This is different from prior development studies
which have tried to address gender inequality by integrating women into existing systems to
address practical needs but without understanding the gender dynamics that will be affected.
1.3 MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASPECTS
To fulfil the requirements of the SEDV project guidelines, this research project has been
anchored in energy, environment, and one more pillar, social aspects. This project will address
energy by focusing on the energy industry in the Caribbean. The entire energy supply chain,
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including individuals that are both employed and self-employed, will be taken into consideration
to provide a full picture. Energy has relevance to the livelihood of individuals worldwide, but
Caribbean nations face a unique challenge when it comes to energy due to their geographic
circumstances. The transition from fossil fuel dependency to the development of sustainable
energy in the region will be the focal point of this research.
The environment has been an essential consideration in the energy debate. This topic will be
addressed by focusing on sustainable energy, and other energy solutions which have reduced
environmental impact. Renewable energy developments are widely being used by nations in the
Caribbean and elsewhere to assist in the move away from the more environmentally harmful,
hydrocarbon sources. The role of gender equality must be considered when looking at how
regions can reach their environmental goals. Through the inherent interconnectedness of
sustainable energy development and the environment, this research paper also provides insight
into the impact of gender equality concerns in environmental initiatives. The conclusions in this
paper bring more clarity to the gender equality issues in the Caribbean so that the region can
achieve greater levels of sustainable development.
The social aspects of the sustainable energy sector are being researched in this report by
focusing on gender representation. This is an important discussion in multiple aspects of social
development, and therefore should be accounted for in the energy sector. Worldwide, the
percentage of females employed in the energy sector is estimated to be less than 25% (NRCan,
2017). The situation in the Caribbean is no different, as countries move to implement more
projects in sustainable energy, it is essential to provide equal opportunities and benefits to all.
The role and current situation of gender representation in the Caribbean sustainable energy
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sector has not been investigated to any significant extent. There continue to be various
constraints that prevent gender equality in this sector. Even when gender issues are explored,
they are is often investigated in isolation. There needs to be greater consideration for how gender
issues can be addressed in an organization or country’s fundamental framework (Oparaocha &
Dutta, 2011). This research will address the underlying gender issues that have prevented the
achievement of gender equality in this sector.
All three of the pillars mentioned above, have specific considerations that need to be
addressed in their own right. However, there was also a need to investigate the unique
relationship between the three. The three pillars work together to initiate and maintain
sustainable development for the region. All of these pillars are essential to this research paper,
and all three pillars are essential as influences on the others. As was noted in Drivers and
inhibitors of renewable energy: A qualitative and quantitative study in the Caribbean (Ince,
Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016), developing countries have placed a greater emphasis on improving
their own sustainable development in the last 30 years from energy technology, environmental,
and economic perspectives. To address this, Caribbean countries have turned towards the
prospect of their own renewable energy resources instead of the heavy reliance on imported
foreign oil (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016). Energy is viewed as a way to address the three
sustainability pillars, and this research looks at a social aspect in the form of gender
considerations, this factor impacts energy development and subsequently environmental
concerns.
Development studies have often recognized the value that gender mainstreaming can have
in improving the opportunities and livelihoods of both women and men. It is also noted that
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sustainable development goals are difficult to achieve if an overarching approach is not taken,
with gender being a prominent perspective to consider (United Nations Development
Programme, 2007). First, with the Millennium Development Goals, and now with the Sustainable
Development Goals, gender is considered a key driver to success. The specific results can be seen
with achievements that are summed up in the following quote. “between expanding energy
access, easing the burdens of women living in poverty, improving overall health and education,
and meeting environmental goals” (Oparaocha & Dutta, 2011). The United Nations Development
Programme has noted the necessity of gender mainstreaming in strategic areas such as energy
and environmental programs. It is acknowledgements like this from the United Nations
Development Programme, that show the importance and significance this research has for the
Caribbean in helping them to attain their energy and environmental improvement ambitions.
Significance
This research project provided important insights for the sustainable energy sector in the
Caribbean. To describe the significance of the findings, the three pillars; energy, environment,
and social, will be reiterated, as well as the business case for improvements in the area of gender
equality.
Energy: As described earlier, the Caribbean has a heavy reliance on fossil fuels to meet its
energy demands. While the environmental concerns of this reliance will be noted later, there are
other inherent issues associated with this. Some Caribbean Islands spend as much as half of their
export revenues on fossil fuels alone. At the current rate of demand growth in the region,
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imported fossil fuels will double within a decade (Shirley & Kammen, 2013). Such a dependence
creates vulnerability issues and spending such a high percentage of export revenues on one
sector will only make development expenditures more financially difficult to attain. While many
nations have noted a desire to develop domestic resources, a development plan from St. Lucia
exemplifies the sentiment felt by many. Both the national electric utility, LUCELEC, and the
Government of St. Lucia have seen that development of local renewable energy sources will
improve the resiliency and cost effectiveness of the national grid (Rocky Mountain Institute,
2016). Energy and electricity supply are paramount consideration for global development, and
access to sustainable energy is part of the Sustainable Development Goals (Isaacs, 2017). This
research contributes findings that have the potential to aid in achieving successful development
for the Caribbean in this respect.
Environment: Improving the performance of the sustainable energy sector works to address
environmental concerns by reducing impacts from commercial operations. It also works by
improving the accessibility of electricity for rural consumers. Rural consumers that consume
locally deforested resources for wood stoves stand to improve their environmental impact with
electricity and improved stoves (Oparaocha & Dutta, 2011). While all countries have
environmental concerns that may impact decision making, the SIDS are even more so affected
by impacts related to climate change. This is due to, amongst other reasons, the “location in
natural disaster-prone regions, reliance on small, open economies that are sensitive to external
shocks, densely populated coastal areas, limited funds, resources and high debt to gross domestic
product (GDP) ratios” (Isaacs, 2017). Regional concern over the impacts of climate change and
how to address the problem have led Caribbean nations to seek alternatives to heavy fuel oil and
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other carbon intensive fossil fuels, it has also sought in many cases to break up the monopolistic
nature of national electric utilities (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2016). Environmental and climate
change initiatives are a global issue and feature prominently in the Millennium Development
Goals and the modern SDGs (Isaacs, 2017). Understanding how to effectively improve the
sustainable energy sector, will aid Caribbean nations in discovering alternatives to the existing
energy sources used in generation, so that environmental goals and climate change mitigation
goals can be achieved.
Social: Improvements to gender relations around the world is an important initiative and is
mentioned on the UN’s MDGs; promote gender equality and empowerment, and SDGs; Gender
Equality (Isaacs, 2017). Not only is researching this area important for the sake of social and
gender concerns, but it has a potentially transformative impact]as well. There is a growing body
of research that suggests that global sustainable development goals are far more difficult to
attain without promotion of gender equality (Luci, Jutting, & Morrisson, 2012). Bearing this in
mind, the findings of this research highlighted some of the aspects that are restricting gender
equality, these findings can subsequently be used as a means of improving environmental
sustainability for the region and beyond.
Business Case: The environmental and energy benefits that can come from removing barriers
to gender equality have been noted above. Beyond this, there are specific benefits from a
business perspective that can be realized. Perhaps this is the most significant benefit that can be
noted for this research. Promoting gender equality is an ethical move for organizations, and
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ethical capital is actually seen as a marketable good. Corporate social responsibility has been
shown to improve the performance and value of an organization (Lertzman & Vredenburg, 2005).
And more specifically, there are growing links between gender diversity and improving the
performance of a business. The level within an organization that gender equality is present also
matters, as organizations with women in upper-management positions can increase the level of
innovation and the company’s values compared to strictly male led organizations (EY, 2016).
Understanding that this research brings value to both the ethical, sustainable development
perspectives along with organizational value, makes this research beneficial and accessible to
various stakeholders and underlines the need for pursuing this and similar other research studies.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
The topic of women in sustainable energy in Caribbean nations has not had a substantial
amount of research. As seen with Cuso International’s goals, more organizations are seeking
information on this topic. Despite the fact that there has not been substantial research available
specifically on women in sustainable energy in the Caribbean, there has been work done on
associated topics that are significant to the overall understanding of this area. These topics
include; women in the workplace in the Caribbean, Caribbean energy policy, gender policy,
women in energy, and some case examples from other nations. These topics provide strong
insight into where research currently stands with regard to the research question.
To bring greater context to the situation being researched, there needs to be an
introductory discussion on the unique situation most Caribbean nations face, due to the fact that
there are predominantly island states. A term often used to describe the island nations within
the Caribbean is Small Island Developing State (SIDS) (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2016). SIDS face
challenges with their energy resources due to their small size along with remoteness (Shirley &
Kammen, 2013). This restricts the connectivity and resource exchange over land that other
nations may enjoy. Another major consideration for the island nations is their vulnerability to
climate change impacts (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2016). This vulnerability adds to the regional
debate on how energy may play into the region’s environmental circumstance. The vulnerability
and remoteness of these islands makes the desire for greater energy independence even more
understandable.
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2.1 WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
Analyzing the trends in female employment representation can provide valuable lessons
that can potentially relate to the sustainable energy industry. The trends investigated gave insight
into what has worked, what has not worked, and what is expected to be attained in the future in
terms of gender employment levels. Tetani and Milberg (2016) examined female employment in
manufacturing sectors in different global regions. While export levels have shown to be positively
related to increased female representation in manufacturing, there is a limiting factor in terms
of technological improvement (Tejani & Milberg, 2016). Technological improvements and capital
intensity can actually lead to lower female employment levels, which is an important trend to
understand for countries that are becoming globalised and engaging in more capital-intensive
projects. Furthermore, research in literature reveals that gender discrimination existed in terms
of higher-paying job offers for males; education and training discrimination against females in
pre-employment, and identified male dominated unions and government decision-makers being
a barrier to entry to the workplace for females in many instances (Tejani & Milberg, 2016).
Additional studies have noted that while women may have increased representation in certain
sectors, this increased representation does not necessarily transfer to improved working
conditions. There is a trend of women being overrepresented in jobs with lower pay and lower
working conditions in the Caribbean (Luci, Jutting, & Morrisson, 2012). The inferior working
status of women is a persistent challenge in spite of what the growing gender diversity statistics
may suggest.
Gender representation in Central America is discussed in Women & the economy:
Changing the Rules of the Game (Calero, 2017). While the author has seen the power of women
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increasing in the workforce in recent years, there remains much work to be done. Calero (2017)
discusses the following as hurdles women still face: unfair child rearing circumstances, gender
bias in professions, pay gaps and educational differences. The research conducted here gives an
overview of employment issues in general, but it can be surmised that the sustainable energy
industry has similar concerns to address.
2.2 ENERGY POLICY
The Caribbean has an energy situation that is different from most other regions on the
planet. There are few indigenous fossil fuel resources, difficult in transportation of energy island
to island, and limited connectivity between islands and contingent land masses. With such a
situation, it is important to understand the needs and requirements of the Caribbean nations in
terms of developing energy policies, markets and regulations. Given the varying size and
resources each nation possesses, it is necessary for Caribbean countries to have an energy policy
that is flexible to different domains and configuration for effective development of sustainable
energy sources (Shirley & Kammen, 2013). At the time of the article in 2013, Shirley and Kammen
noted that the Barbados government had displayed interest in renewable energy investment,
but a lack of policy backing hindered any development. Jamaica had seen issues in securing
investment to pursue their own renewable energy interest. It was seen that policy reform will be
needed to make meaningful headway of sustainable energy in the island nations. This policy
should have private stakeholders involved, alleviate associated financial risk, and give an
understanding of future infrastructure and network development. Once government structure is
set, supportive legislation can be developed. If the market incentives are in place, Shirley and
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Kammen believe island nations have the potential to develop profitable renewable energy
industries. Another important finding from Caribbean energy policy research concerns the
relationship between the incumbent utilities and the government. There may be a disconnect
between the government policy makers and the technological requirements the utilities operate
with. This disconnect creates a misunderstanding and can strain the relationship between the
two (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016).
2.3 GENDER POLICY
As the global trend towards the attainment of greater gender equality continues, more
countries and jurisdictions have done work to implement gender-based policies. Segunio (2008)
examined the work of gender policy in the Caribbean. “The probability of being poor, of doing
the bulk of unpaid labor, of having limited job opportunities, and of being unemployed is greater
for women than for men, particularly in the Caribbean region”. Seguino explains that this has a
lot to do with the roles of women heading households, the prevalence of un-paid work, and of
unequal contributions to low wage, labor intensive service and manufacturing jobs. What
Seguino proposes is action on macroeconomic policy to alleviate this inequality. While policy will
necessarily need to be different for different countries and their circumstances, the goals should
remain the same. These policy goals should include: alleviation of women’s care burden, equal
access to well-paid jobs, ensuring society’s ‘safety net’ is well set up, and less occupational
segregation. Occupational segregation is likely to be a key component to women’s role in
sustainable energy. The types of government policies Seguino describes for alleviating
occupational segregation include publicly funded training programs, educational curriculum
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reshaping to reduce gender stereotypes, publicly funded child care and un-paid labor
opportunities for men (paternity leave). However, the goals of this kind of policy must not come
at the expense of macro-economic growth. Seguino sees policy as the avenue to which gender
differences in the labor force can be diminished. Another common theme in gender policy is the
distinction between Women in Development and Gender and Development. Women in
Development is an approach to involve women in existing frameworks. Gender and Development
focuses on the relationships between genders and how to address strategic needs. Gender and
Development is a preferred choice in development studies (United Nations Development
Programme, 2007). These pieces of research provide important findings in understanding to a
greater extent, gender inequality in the Caribbean and what the initial barriers may be.
2.4 WOMEN IN ENERGY
While the subject of women in sustainable energy in the Caribbean has not been studied
extensively, there is work on women in energy that can be referenced that may be applicable.
This research provides a narrower scope on gender equality in the workplace and is more
applicable to the sustainable energy industry. It will be valuable to know what global trends have
been observed in female energy sector employment. These trends can either be global or region
specific.
Natural Resources Canada outlined the gender representation of females in the energy
industry. They found that overall female representation is between 20-25% of total employment
in the energy sector. Additionally, only 6% are technical roles, and less than 1% are top level
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management positions (NRCan, 2017). The report mentions an issue that has been raised in
multiple forums; gender-disaggregated data makes analyzing the sustainable energy industry
even more difficult. As such, my research did not specify the female participation in the clean
energy industry. Based on the research of Natural Resources Canada and work with industry
partners, they were able to determine a list of barriers to proportional gender participation in
the sustainable energy industry in Canada. While the circumstances and therefore barriers are
different, the problem remains significant in Canada as well as the Caribbean. Ernst & Young
publishes a yearly report on women’s representation in the electric power and utilities industry.
While this is not specifically for the sustainable energy industry, the findings are comparable to
those of Natural Resources Canada’s report. Worldwide, female representation as Executive
board members and senior management leadership positions are both less than 15% in this
sector (EY, 2016). While Ernst & Young does not offer a list of barriers and solutions, they have
reported that representation is growing, albeit at a “glacial” rate.
2.5 CASE EXAMPLES
Academic research in this area provides valuable information on global trends in female
representation in the sustainable energy sector. This information gives a strong indication of how
potential development projects could be used to address barriers. it is therefore important to
investigate development projects and their related outcomes. These practical attempts at
addressing this research provide nuanced successes and failures that may not be addressed in
other kinds of literature. The following is a review of a few different published reports on
development projects aimed at gender and energy development in nations around the world.
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There have been development projects throughout Africa that are specifically aimed at
gender equality through sustainable energy. While these projects do not explicitly outline the key
barriers to gender, they offer key information on how barriers can be addressed and what the
outcomes can be. A few examples of projects that have taken place include the following:
ECOWAS implemented a regional policy on gender-responsive energy development (ECREEE,
2013), ENERGIA’s WE program is adopting business models to assist female entrepreneurs deliver
energy products to over two million customers. By focusing on one issue; such as gender policy,
or female led entrepreneurship, organizations have experienced considerable success in certain
regions of Africa.
In Bangladesh, there was a study of lessons learned on projects that integrated women in
Grameen Shakti’s renewable energy value chain. There were a couple of key findings that stood
out from this that could potentially be implemented elsewhere. It was noted that training alone
does not ensure successful entrance or successful integration into renewable energy value
chains. A suggestion that comes from this finding is the establishment of complimentary
apprenticeships that work to reinforce pre-employment training. Another key finding is the use
of reporting systems. There need to be reporting systems that ensure timely feedback and data.
This is necessary to understand how successful programs have been, if targets are being met, and
to help understand what corrective actions need to be made. This Bangladeshi paper also noted
that there must be a common understanding, and comprehensive agreement by all those
involved from top-down. In the case of a funded project (as is the case with the evaluated
projects), there needs to be a comprehensive understanding among the funder, implementer,
potential employers, and employees.
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There are a few more key findings that should be noted from this literature review. The
first is the role that government and policies play. It appears government involvement is
necessary to initiate formidable change. However, country circumstance must be known and
catered for appropriately. Pre-employment training programs have been shown to improve
sustainable energy integration. Household structure and childrearing assistance have been used
as a tool to allow greater gender equity in this sector and therefore is a necessary consideration
for projects. While the themes seen in the literature review were not all directly tied to the
research question, they provided a foundation for the interviews to build on.
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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
To identify what the barriers to more proportional gender representation in this sector
are, the following methods were applied. First, this project utilized thorough interviews with
individuals directly involved in the Caribbean energy sector who have an understanding of what
barriers may be present for women in the sector. A comprehensive and diverse group was
chosen. Following the interviews, common trends that were discussed were highlighted. Finally,
theoretical frameworks were applied as context for the common trends to create an
understanding of the underlying issues and concepts that can be attributed to the overall issue.
To further explain the methodology of this project; the reason why interviews were used, how
the interviews were conducted, the selection of interviewees, and the diversity of the
interviewee group will be explained. The interview format and questions, and the basis for what
theoretical frameworks to apply are discussed in this Section.
Interviews
As has been mentioned, there is little existing data and quantitative research to draw
from in the area of energy and gender in the Caribbean. Therefore, an initial qualitative approach
was taken for this research. The interviews provided perspectives from individuals who are within
the sustainable energy sector, work closely with the sustainable energy sector, or contribute to
the sustainable energy sector in some way. The interviews with those in the Caribbean were
conducted through telecommunication applications (Facetime, Skype, telephone calls). To
20
engage with individuals who can provide valuable perspective on this topic, initial contact was
made by sending emails to organizations and individuals of interest.
The audio from the interviews was recorded to ensure correctness and credibility of the
results. The responses and discussions were recorded and compared against each other to
determine what the common thoughts and trends are on this topic. Context specific responses
will also be noted to highlight potential contrasts between nations, or sectors.
To provide as comprehensive of an overall understanding of this topic as possible, a
diverse group was represented in the interviews conducted. The following is an analysis of the
countries, organization types, genders, and education/occupational background that were
represented. In total, there were thirteen (13) individuals interviewed, with over 13 hours in
recorded interview audio.
Countries: The interviewees have experiences living within, working within, or had working
experiences from fifteen (15) countries; Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands,
Curaçao, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Monserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent &
The Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, and the United States Virgin
Islands.
Organization Types: Interviewees provided perspectives from a variety of sector and
organizational types; Government agencies, Regulators, Utilities, NGOs, Think-tanks, National
state-owned oil companies, regional organizations.
Genders: Of the individuals interviewed, three (3) were males and ten (10) were female.
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Education/ Occupation Background: These interviewees provided a diverse educational and
occupational background.
TABLE 1. INTERVIEWEES
Interviewee Male/ Female
Title, Organization Countries
1 F Program Support, Sustainable Tourism/ clean energy
Barbados, OECS countries
2 F Grid Performance Engineer, utility Jamaica
3 F Training Manager, utility association St. Lucia
4 F Mechanical Engineer, utility St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago
5 M Business Development, NGO St. Lucia, Jamaica, St Maarten
6 M Legal Officer, regulator Curaçao
7 F Program Manager, Think-tank St. Lucia, St. Vincent, BVI, T&C, Montserrat
8 F Renewable Energy Specialist, Utility Regulator
St. Lucia
9 F Program Manager, Professional development network
Jamaica, St. Lucia
10 F Energy Stats, Energy Agency Guyana
11 M Renewable Energy Officer, National Oil Company
Barbados
12 F Renewable Energy Coordinator, National Oil
Barbados
13 F Executive Director, NGO Barbados
(Source: Bourns, 2018)
The interviews provided an opportunity for the interviewees to candidly discuss points
that they saw as relevant to the topic. The open discussion provided valuable considerations.
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Despite the flexibility in these discussions, the interviews all followed a similar structure with
similar questions. The semi-structured questions ensured that the answers in the interviews
could effectively be compared against other discussions. The interviews contained four (4) main
sections; personal background, industry experience, country experience, and suggestions. The
layout of the interviews was utilized so that the discussion would provide background context of
the interviewee, and then progress into a more critical view of the state of the industry the
interviewee is associated with.
Personal Background: The personal background section allowed the interviewee to describe how
their work history and steps that have led to where they currently are. This section was essential
for providing the necessary context of the interviewee’s perspective. Among the necessary
questions asked in this section were: Please describe who you are, your position, and the industry
you work in. What country or countries do you mainly live in or have work experiences from? Why
did you get into the line of work you are currently in; was it more about getting a certain position,
or about being in a certain industry? How did you get to this point in your career what were the
key steps along the way? What personal capabilities do you think helped you get to where you
are? Were there any that hindered your process?
Industry Experience: After establishing the interviewee’s personal context, questions were asked
about the industry that they work in and their personal perspective of it. Among the questions
asked in this section: What challenges do you see of getting into and working in this industry?
Were there any external factors that helped you get to this point in your career? Do you see equal
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gender representation in this industry - why or why not? Who are typically the decision makers?
Are there external factors that have an impact or that could be utilized?
Country Experience: The country experience section was discussed as a distinct section so that
there would be an opportunity to differentiate how industries are perceived in different nations.
This also helped to further examine the country and cultural contexts that the sustainable energy
sector operates within. The questions discussed in this section are: Are there policies at the
regional, country, or municipal levels that are in place that play a role in gender and/or energy?
What are the general thoughts on the industry within the country, are there common stereotypes
associated with it? Are there prevalent stereotypes in your region that may impact this sector?
What female representation is seen in the country?
Suggestions: The final section of the interview provided an opportunity for the interviewee to
discuss their opinion on gender inequality in the sector. The interviewee could comment on their
own perception of the challenges and potential solutions for the sector. There would also be
other notable challenges from previous literature review and discussion that would be proposed
to the interviewee for their comment. This section was important to get the interviewee’s
concluding thoughts on the topic, as such, an opportunity was always provided for the
interviewee to discuss anything that may not have been addressed through the questions in the
interview.
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Interview Comparison
Following the interviews, the recorded answers were compared to one another. This
provided an understanding of what the common themes are on this topic. Along with identifying
the common responses, the interviewee’s circumstance was included in the analysis of the
interviews. Understanding the context of the interviewee provided necessary insight for any
‘outlier’ responses that were found. All interview notes/transcripts were examined, and the most
commonly referred to challenges were used to infer what might be the most relevant challenges
or barriers to the aspect of gender representation.
Theoretical Framework
Following the comparison of the interview response, theoretical frameworks were
applied to provide context for the common trends in the industry. The challenges identified in
the interviews were researched in academic sources to understand what the underlying causes
might be. Along with providing a scholarly lens through which to view this issue, applying
academic theory also gave the research greater validity.
The format for this research combined primary research from interviews, with secondary
research from literature. The interviews, while subjective, were an important way to understand
the context of the sector given the lack of data available. The nature of this topic also lends itself
to interviews as discussions was needed to address informal, social norms that may not be able
to be expressed through typical data. The secondary research was used to compliment the
findings of the interviews, as the research had been objectively validated. This research provided
25
an academic perspective to the subjective responses and aided in creating a more comprehensive
understanding of the challenges that were observed.
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CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS
The following topics were discussed during the interviews. Not all potential barriers were
mentioned in every interview, but they were still significant enough to discuss in the findings.
The topics discussed are briefly mentioned here, with an assessment pf the extent to which
individuals felt they were an issue. The potential barriers are further examined later in the
section.
SKILLS TRANSFER
Skills transfer, and the ability to enter the sustainable energy sector from another industry
were aspects mentioned by three respondents. Of the interviewees, two considered this to be a
potential barrier. Another interviewee was able to switch into the industry herself so did not view
this as a prominent barrier in the sector. “Intellectual snobbery” was mentioned by an
interviewee as perhaps more of a barrier to entry to the industry itself but not specifically with
regards to gender. ‘Intellectual snobbery’ can be described as hubris displayed by those in the
industry who may be less responsive to others trying to enter the sector’s workforce. This
interviewee had extensive knowledge of training and human resources within the industry and
this gave their response a considerable degree of weight. With only two interviewees expressing
concern about the ability of women to transfer careers into different industries given their
current skills, this is not seen as a prominent barrier to address at this time.
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CULTURE
The topic of culture, and people’s underlying beliefs, was mentioned in all of the
interviews. All respondents believed this to be a barrier to entry for women, with 50% of
respondents suggesting this is the biggest concern. The discussion of culture was rather broad as
some focused their attention on the upbringing within their own homes, such as their parent’s
interactions. The discussion of family dynamics was also raised and was focused mainly on how
parents can influence the range of future opportunities of children by reinforcing or disagreeing
with society’s preconceived notions. Some respondents focused on the culture that is present in
grade schools and how they see gender bias reflected there, with one respondent commenting
that it goes further than just grade school; “40-50 years of kind of indoctrination, cultural
expectations of girls and boys, after university what do you expect?”. Other respondents focused
on the workplace and unsaid norms that exist there. The interviews confirmed that culture
‘absolutely’ plays a part in the gender equality of the Caribbean’s sustainable energy sector. One
interviewee mentioned how it is “[common to see people] lean towards common jobs” for their
gender, and others described a sense of needing “to prove themselves” as worthwhile in their
occupation. Further insight into what culture may mean in the Caribbean will be examined later
to provide greater understanding of this overarching topic of discussion.
POLICY
Policy is mentioned in most contexts of international development projects and therefore
was therefore an important topic to address in these interviews. Of the interviewees that were
spoken to, all felt that policy played a part in gender equality. However, many felt that there were
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greater issues to address and policy was only a tool to be used if other circumstances were
addressed as well. Many interviewees mentioned that there are not policies that specifically
restrict the opportunities of women in this industry, and therefore did not see policy as a barrier
itself. They saw policy as a means of incentivizing greater equality.
REPRESENTATION
A lack of representation of women in government and industry was discussed in these
interviews. Some respondents were of the view that lack of representation can create a vicious
cycle. Without representation, the barriers to greater representation are not addressed
effectively and this leads to a lack of representation in the future. Six of the respondents saw this
issue as a barrier in the sector. One respondent emphasized the need to have human resource
managers involved in higher level discussions so that there can be greater understanding of an
employee’s needs when decisions are being made. Not having human resource considerations
“at the table” brings to light a common theme of not having the concerns of those affected most
represented during decision making. All but one interviewee said there was uneven gender
representation at the government level and/ or at the organization level. As one respondent
surmised “Women may work at ministry of energy, but not many Ministers of Energy”. Some
respondents were able to also speak to external organizations and their representational make
up. Overall, there was a noted lack of equal gender representation and a belief that a lack of
equality at a decision maker level is a barrier preventing greater industry equality.
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REGIONAL EDUCATION ACCESSIBILITY AND USE
Education and training in sustainable energy was discussed to understand if it is available
at a reasonable level in the region, and if it is equitably distributed. One interesting finding from
the interviews is that multiple individuals went through post-secondary education outside of the
Caribbean. These individuals went to the United States, while one immigrated to the Caribbean
but had formal training elsewhere. It was mentioned that it is common to see people “not come
home” following their time at University in another country. If this is true, it is important that
there be regionally available facilities so that the region does not experience a ‘brain drain’. There
were mixed results from the discussion of education and whether its accessibility in the region
was creating gender barriers or not. Some saw the level of higher education facilities being
sufficient in the region but suggested that the educational culture needs to be changed at a
younger age. One saw equity in higher-level education in terms of enrolment and graduation and
therefore thought it was not a major barrier, and one saw this same equity but noted the lack of
equity in higher status employment. Some of those who thought that there was insufficient
education and training did not have strong opinions on whether higher-education, technical
training, or apprenticeships would have a greater impact in addressing gender equity issues.
Despite the seemingly mixed results of the opinions on education, there are a couple of notable
commonalities; most of the individuals had to go out of country for their higher education, career
opportunities have a gender stigma attached and this cultural norm carries through for many
technical roles in the industry, more accessible education and technical training would generally
be welcomed and were seen as positive in the Caribbean.
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TRADITIONAL SOCIAL ROLES
Another discussion was around the impact that “traditional household roles” had in this
space. Traditional household roles would imply a home where a man is expected to work during
the day, while the woman is expected to stay at the house to take care of children, household
chores, and various other non-income earning activities. Around the world there is a wide
spectrum, of assumed household roles so it was important to understand if this is prevalent in
the region, and what impacts if any are associated with it. A common thought regarding this is
that the Caribbean is moving away from the notion of traditional household roles, so it is not as
prevalent a barrier to opportunities as was seen in previous generations. One interviewee noted,
however, that the Caribbean is still developing, and they see these roles being less gendered as
nations move through their development. It appears these household roles still have an impact
on the region, but not as much as was once seen. One interviewee thought that the household
roles restricted access to training to allow for future employment opportunities, and therefore
additional child care options would be a method to alleviate the presence of traditional
household roles.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL CONCERNS
One interviewee made an important comment on what a major roadblock to
improvement in gender equality and other development issues might be. At this point, they saw
their country as being one that is still developing and has many concerns at this time. “There are
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other challenges companies deal with than the representation of male to female in the company.
I think that is probably the main driver… challenges on an island like Curacao are different than
more developed countries". Among them, energy security was mentioned. In essence, they saw
the sustainable energy industry as being so focused internally in its path to development, that
outside considerations, including gender equality were left ‘by the wayside’. They reinforced that
point with another interesting aspect of this discussion. They reported that the industry is not
against gender equality, but that is simply does not have the time or resources for these
considerations, as energy development would need to come first with improvements and ethical
concerns coming at a later time. This topic was not formally discussed with all interviewees.
However, multiple interviewees mentioned they felt decision-makers often did not have
knowledge of gender equality issues or the potential impacts that may result from it.
GENDER DISAGREGATED DATA
As was mentioned at the onset of this report, there are very few sources of gender
disaggregated data in workforce sectors, and this is especially true in the Caribbean sustainable
energy sector. Estimates of gender representation are based on a combination of regional
information, and trends in the industry on a global scale. The discussion of lack of data was
mentioned by multiple interviewees. Generally, interviewees saw this as an issue, and it was
mostly tied to its usefulness in policy decisions. One interviewee mentioned that this was a
prominent concern within their agency, and they had ambitions of learning how to understand
gender in their industry from a quantitative perspective.
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The findings from the interviews can be seen Table 2 below. When an interviewee felt
that a topic had barriers associated with it, it received a “Y”. An “N” in the table indicates the
interviewee did not think that there were remarkable barriers with that topic. When an
interviewee was unsure, or wished to not comment on a topic, it did not receive a mark in the
table.
TABLE 2. INTERVIEW FINDINGS
Interviewee Education Culture Data Policy Representation Skills
Transfer
1 Y Y Y Y Y
2 N Y N
3 Y Y Y
4 Y Y
5 Y
6 Y Y
7 N Y Y
8 Y Y N
9 Y Y Y
10 Y Y Y Y Y
11 Y Y Y N
12 N Y Y
13 Y Y
(Source: Bourns, 2018)
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PERSPECTIVE FROM GUYANA
All but one of the interviewees felt that there was gender inequality in their organization
or industry. The one interviewee that did not see a prevalent issue offered some important
contrasts to the other discussions. Their organization was based in Guyana and did work on a
national level including community development projects in energy. In this organization, they felt
that individuals were in their current roles based on merit and achievements alone. Proper
educational attainment was a necessity for roles and the employees were hired accordingly. They
mentioned that gender mainstreaming practices were new to most within the organization, but
that progress was being made in terms of understanding gender mainstreaming. There was a
large-scale awareness campaign throughout the organization which was having a significant
impact. The decision to focus on gender was a decision made at the top of the organization and
was carried out through all levels. Among the objectives in the gender mainstreaming process
was effective reporting on gender initiatives. Consequently, there had been a greater emphasis
on gendered approaches in community development projects as they have seen greater
outcomes from projects that have a stronger female presence. As they mentioned, not only is
the effect of gender equality showing itself within the organization, but it also is seeing results at
a community level. This interviewee had a significantly more optimistic outlook on the gender
relations within the Caribbean sustainable energy sector than other interviewees did. This
contrasting perspective gave important insight into an effective process in Guyana that perhaps
is lacking in other countries.
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CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS
The interviews provided an overview of some common trends that are occurring in the
industry. These trends have all been noted. To fully understand the barriers, however, the trends
were analysed in the context of various academic theories. These theories reinforced the initial
interview findings and established stronger arguments for the mechanisms at play from an
existing body of work. The applied theoretical frameworks that related to the interview findings
were: needs theory, institutional theory, industry-based misconceptions.
5.1 NEEDS THEORY
During the interviews, it was mentioned that industry is not actively looking to
discriminate in hiring practices. Rather, they are too focused on making the renewable energy
industry work effectively, and then they can worry about other problems afterwards. The logic
of this argument can be compared to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from A Theory of Human
Motivation (Maslow, 1943). Basic needs are addressed first, and higher-level problems can be
dealt with following that. In The Kyoto protocol - a victim of supply security? or: if Maslow were
in energy politics (Frei, 2004), the author did an effective job of transferring Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs to energy policy. The lower levels of the energy policy hierarchy are access to
commercial energy, and security of energy supply. The higher levels consist of cost efficiency,
natural resource efficiency, and finally social acceptability.
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FIGURE 1. FREI'S (2004) HIERARCHY OF ENERGY POLICY
(Source: Frei, 2004)
The parallels between this theory and the interviews can be readily seen. Countries want
to address their energy security first before looking into other, higher-level concerns. In Frei’s
hierarchy, gender mainstreaming would not be addressed until the highest level of the pyramid.
Social concerns, employee relations, would not be a standout concern until the industry is well
established and running efficiently. It has also been seen that some Caribbean nations have
exceptionally high retail costs of electricity. Shirley and Kammen (2013) noted it was reaching
$0.35USD/kWh in some areas. From this theory it can be seen how the developing nature of the
sustainable energy industry is a barrier to greater gender representation as countries and
organizations do not see it as a priority among the various concerns they face at this time.
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5.2 INSTITUTIONAL THEORY
The theory of institutions has been looked at by other authors to see how it relates to the
renewable energy industry. An important distinction in this discussion is between formal and
informal institutions. Both forms will be evaluated separately and together.
FORMAL INSTITUTIONS
Formal institutions are the based on the “formal rules of the game” (Waylen, 2014) which
are enforced through policies, laws and regulations. Formal institutions are established through
Government, business, or regulatory entities (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016).
POLICY
The topic of policy has many implications and has different factors that contribute to it.
Looking at the topic of gender representation in this sector and how poor policy can create
barriers is easy to see. When policy surrounding energy and the environment are formed, it is
widely considered to be a gender-neutral topic. However, this is not necessarily the case and not
taking gender into consideration in defining policies is a deficiency as men and women are
affected in unique ways when energy and environmental policies are formed (United Nations
Development Programme, 2007). Not only is it an oversight to not consider gender in policy, but
gender-sensitive policies have important benefits in energy and environment such as;
“improve[d] natural resource management, infrastructure delivery, access and affordability,
choice and flexibility, and decision-making” (United Nations Development Programme, 2007).
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Most interviewees mentioned that they don’t know of any gender related policies that could
have an impact in this sector. This remark is echoed in research, as Kabeer (2003) saw that gender
issues are rarely discussed and poorly understood when considering development and poverty
alleviation of a country. Furthermore, it is seen that gender-sensitive energy and environment
policy around the world, when it is actually implemented, will have a focus on reproduction and
health. While still important, health concerns are separate from the income and employment
aspect that should also be examined (United Nations Development Programme, 2007). When
considering gender in energy and environment policy, there needs to be attention to both
sustainable energy technology access support at local levels, but also national energy planning
policy (Oparaocha & Dutta, 2011). It has been seen that energy policy is usually focused on
commercial scale implementation and not community level access where women are more
adversely affected by insufficient energy. The UNDP’s report found very little evidence of gender
integration into national resource management and evaluation strategies around the world.
Further, the report noted that environmental and energy concerns are underrepresented in
development strategies. The lack of consideration for energy, environment, gender and the
impact they represent to a nation is a notable failure of policy making around the world. Even
though gender mainstreaming has been discussed since the 1990s, the topic struggles to progress
without solid policies (Webster, 2006). Shortcomings in the integration of energy, environment,
and gender into policy is a barrier to progress.
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DATA
During the interviews, it was often mentioned that there is a lack of gendered data in the
Caribbean and that this may impact policy formulation, implementation, and effectiveness. This
report has displayed that policy deficiencies are a barrier to gender representation in the
Caribbean sustainable energy sector. If poor data collection and understanding impacts policy,
then lack of gendered data can be seen as contributing to barriers within this sector. The topic of
data collection around gender issues has been discussed in general terms in the Caribbean for
many years. Webster (2006), noted the recommendations that came out of The Fourth (4th)
Caribbean Ministerial Conference on Women: Review and Appraisal of the Platform for Action;
“national machineries to be provided with requisite technical skills in gender analysis, the support
of policy analysts, and the availability of sex disaggregated data to effectively mainstream gender
throughout government policies”. In 2017, a CARICOM group signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) regarding gender equality. The MOU discussed region-wide collaboration
on data collection and how gender fits into the achievement of SDGs, and SIDS goals (Isaacs,
2017). Despite this MOU, the interviewees suggested this MOU has not yet been put into
practice. International organizations and policy-makers are not the only groups that see value in
data collection on gender issues. Power and utility executives throughout the world talk about
the importance of gender diversity in leadership and decision-making. However, only 38.5% of
the organizations interviewed in a report had any kind of formal metrics to track gender-diversity.
This number is lower for emerging markets, such as those in the Caribbean, with only 28.5% of
those surveyed having metrics (EY, 2016). It is clear to see that there is a lack of analytical data
surrounding the issue of gender in energy and environment. Even if there were effective policies
39
in place in this sector, there needs to be data to understand if progress is being made (Webster,
2006). Deficiencies in gendered data is a barrier to sufficiently recognizing and understanding
gender issues. When data is effectively collected on this topic, “decision-makers, environment
and energy institutions, and development agencies” can more effectively comprehend sector
issues, determine what changes need to be made and assess where policy can be appropriately
implemented (United Nations Development Programme, 2007).
GENDER MAINSTREAMING:
The discussions around gender-sensitivity in policy and utilizing data for this inherently
include the idea of gender mainstreaming. As was mentioned earlier, this term is described as
“strategy for making women's and men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension in
plans. To enhance benefits and ensure inequality does not get perpetuated”. The lack of gender
considerations in policy subsequently means a lack of gender mainstreaming. The benefits to
gender mainstreaming plans have been well documented. Institutional analyses can be better
understood through gender mainstreaming as gender dynamics will provide greater context to
the power dynamics that may be present (Waylen, 2014). Gender mainstreaming during the
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases of projects and policies has been a
recommended approach. Utilizing this with gender-based goals will increase understanding of
how energy can contribute to greater to development goals (Oparaocha & Dutta, 2011). There
has been greater attention paid to the “agent approach” in development in which the capacity
of people, or agents, is built as the method to greater development ambitions (Fukuda-Parr,
40
2003). This approach has been seen in some development projects, although not specifically in
the energy sector. Yet despite the known need of developing agents and gender mainstreaming
in development organizations and their external projects, there is little attention paid to gender
issues within the organizations themselves (United Nations Development Programme, 2007).
Gender mainstreaming is an important theory to consider during all phases of a project and the
benefits of it are well documented. The apparent absence of gender mainstreaming in this sector
in the Caribbean has created a barrier which is capable of being addressed.
INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS
Informal institutions are the norms, or practices that are exhibited within a group. Often
these are less noticeable than formal institutions (Waylen, 2014) and can be far more difficult to
quantify.
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Many of the interviewees discussed how culture and beliefs can affect opportunities for
women. It is not always a blatant, structured restriction. Rather, these are underlying norms that
can subconsciously affect behaviour. This falls under the social institution theory which is an
informal institution. As Luci (2012) has said, social institutions are “long-lasting codes of conduct,
norms” in a society. After hearing how many interviewees discussed the impact of culture, and
subsequent social institutions, it is important to evaluate the impact that social institutions can
have.
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Informal institutions are often enforced through social mechanisms like “shunning, social
ostracism and even violence rather than legal recognition or the power of the state and the other
mechanisms used to enforce formal institutions” (Waylen, 2014). The impact of social institutions
is quite profound. These institutions can affect the advancement of innovation, such as in
renewable energy, as the institutions can foster institutional isomorphism. Simply put, informal
institutions can restrict change in the energy sector. As was mentioned in Drivers and inhibitors
of renewable energy: A qualitative and quantitative study of the Caribbean (Ince, Vredenburg, &
Liu, 2016), changing the dynamic of the fossil-fuel dependent Caribbean energy sector requires
a “paradigm shift”. To effectively change this paradigm, the current networks and relationships
that are in place may need to be reconsidered. One way of potentially changing the current state
of affairs is through representation of champions in the industry. Theoretical literature supports
the use of champions, or “institutional entrepreneurs”, for developing sustainable industries and
developing innovative new technologies (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016).
Additionally, informal institutions affect gender equality. As was discussed in Waylen’s (2014)
research, changing the status quo of institutions is necessary to lessen the systemic inequality
between the genders. There are a few factors that contribute to the overall impact of social
institutions on gender equality. Firstly, women are more susceptible to being marginalized due
to the “triple burden” that is prevalent in countries with traditional roles. Triple burden includes;
reproductive work (child rearing, taking care of the home), productive work (income or
sustenance generation), and community work (gaining resources for collective consumption)
(Webster, 2006). Secondly, women may lean towards pursuing subjects with ‘softer’ skills
because of gender socialization that occurs throughout school systems (Webster, 2006). Not only
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are women less likely to take technical careers because of the tendency to choose subjects based
on gender stereotypes throughout adolescence, but patriarchal and conservative social norms
lead to prominent barriers for women to work outside of agriculture careers (Luci, Jutting, &
Morrisson, 2012). Furthermore, education and training are less accessible to women that may be
looking for training resources later in life. The UNDP (2007) noted that education and training
away from home is less convenient for women then men, and therefore resources need to be
more catered towards the skill level, time, and location of women to create more equal access.
The prevalence and prominence of social institutions in the Caribbean can partially be attributed
to the low social mobility in the region. Inequality is more systemic in areas with low social
mobility, and this leads to a transfer of inequality between generations, households, and genders
(Blouin, Giral, & Bhushan, 2012). It has been noted that the pervasive inequality in the Caribbean
could be linked to socio-economic divides that came about in the colonial era. Colonialism
implemented persistent development and modernization in the Caribbean which further
perpetuated inequality and socio-economic divides. “The productive structure and the education
system helped to ingrain and reproduce inequality” (Blouin, Giral, & Bhushan, 2012). Luci’s work
confirmed that social institutions play an important part in gender inequality, and Ince noted that
impact that the social institution paradigm has on the development of sustainable energy. This
research reinforces the discussions had with interviewees about the impact that cultural norms
have played in their lives, and the lives of those in the sustainable energy industry in the
Caribbean. The discussion about culture was so prevalent in the interviews, that I found it
important to find research and theoretical frameworks to further understand the meaning
behind this topic.
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FORMAL AND INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS:
As has been discussed, both informal and formal institutions need to be evaluated. An
increasingly apparent notion is the need for integrated approaches for problem solving. This is
the same for institutions, as formal institutions should be evaluated concurrently with informal
institutions. Research has shown that formal rules, or formal institutional change can fail due to
necessary informal institutions not being in place to fill ambiguities. Informal institutions can also
enhance the effectiveness of formal rule changes (Waylen, 2014). Research on gender in
institutions shows two distinct streams of implications. First, men have a nominal advantage by
having greater numbers in positions of power than women. Second, there is gender bias that
limits women’s significance. This gender bias is rooted in social norms surrounding masculinity
and femininity, with masculine persons being assumed to have a better understanding of power
and decision-making (Htun and Piscopo 2010; Weldon 2002). Both informal and formal
institutions have both been shown to be barriers to gender representation in the Caribbean
sustainable energy sector. The interaction of institutions shows that an integrated approach is
needed to address the barriers.
5.3 INDUSTRY MISCONCEPTIONS
This report has listed a few common barriers that have restricted gender equality in the
Caribbean sustainable energy sector. Throughout the research regarding all of these barriers,
there was one commonly cited barrier that appeared to affect all of the others. Throughout the
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interviews there was mention of a general lack of understanding or appreciation for the topic
being discussed. While this may be unsurprising, the implications of this understanding are quite
prominent and transcend throughout the industry. There have been many instances where
gender issues were not adequately understood that have led to substantial roadblocks to
development. Webster (2006) mentioned that a Bureau of Women’s Affairs conference was
unable to progress gender mainstreaming in a project due to “a lack of understanding and
appreciation of gender issues”. The Bureau of Women’s Affairs in Jamaica has identified issues
related to understanding of this topic as one significant barrier the country faces. In gender
mainstreaming, the initiatives are not adequately understood. There has been a noted deficiency
in gender mainstreaming training for policy makers in Jamaica, making gender mainstreaming
policy rather difficult to implement (Webster, 2006). More specific to the sustainable energy
sector, the lack of understanding does not stop at bureaus and policy makers. Within power and
utility sectors, the men and women surveyed had differing views on what was the most
significant barrier to gender parity. Women ranked organizational bias against women (informal
institutions) as the greatest barrier, and men thought that the biggest issue was a lack of
candidates. 61 percent of power and utility executives surveyed suggested their organization
would reach gender parity within a decade. However, a World Economic Forum study suggests
that current progress would mean gender parity would not be reached until 2095 (EY, 2016). It
has been noted in various reports that the sustainable energy and environmental sectors are
usually more technology focused than other sectors, which would lead to more technical thinking
individuals within the organizations. Therefore, gender relations may be outside of their scope,
as they do not see the issues as relevant, or may be uncomfortable with the political nature of
45
the topic (United Nations Development Programme, 2007). If individuals are expressly
uncomfortable with a topic or are unaware that they do not know enough about the topic of
gender relations, then progress is difficult to achieve. The misunderstanding and
underappreciation for the significance of this issue inherently creates a barrier to its
improvement.
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CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION
The problem of gender inequality is prevalent in many industries around the world. This
is despite the fact that creating more equality has been shown to improve company performance
and valuations. The Caribbean sustainable energy industry also faces this issue. The purpose of
this research was to understand what barriers exist that are preventing the industry to cultivate
greater gender equality. This research has implications for energy, environmental, and social
aspects relating to development in the Caribbean. The technical and socio-political nature of the
sustainable energy industry was shown to be very similar to other environmental projects and
initiatives. The research explored in literature often combines findings of energy and
environment into a report with shared implications. What is important about my research is that
the findings can be applied to not only the sustainable energy industry, but the environmental
industry as well.
This paper has shown the barriers to creating greater gender equality in the Caribbean’s
sustainable energy industry are: based on the Caribbean nations’ needs hierarchy, institutional –
both formal and informal – influence, and the overall lack of understanding of this issue. This was
seen through a combination of interviews, and related academic resources. From the interviews,
the most common theme was the influence of culture in Caribbean nations. The impact of culture
is heavily represented in informal institution theory.
47
A necessary consideration for this research is understanding the uniqueness of the
Caribbean and its industries. The island nations in the Caribbean are often referred to as Small
Island Developing States (SIDS). Their unique geographic makeup, remoteness, lack of
connectedness, and heavy reliance on imported energy sources all contribute to a situation
different than any seen by other nations.
Going forward, the industry will need to understand that changes are necessary from
various players representing different levels. An integrated approach that considers many
aspects will likely prove to be the most impactful, but it needs to be expected that change will
take significant time. Aspects, such as policy, are not easily changed, implemented, and improved
in the short term. Despite the barriers that are currently facing the industry at this time, there
have been, and continue to be, important steps being taken to rectify the issue. This can be seen
as a hopeful sign of improvement.
The work from this research provides useful information for the energy and environment
industry in the Caribbean. Potentially, this research also provides useful information for other
industries necessary for development considerations in the region. The benefit of creating
greater gender inequality in the in the overall industry is known. From this research, the barriers
to greater gender representation in sustainable energy initiatives in the Caribbean are also
known. The industry now needs to make conscious decisions to address the barriers and
contribute to sustainably developing the sustainable energy industry in the Caribbean region.
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CHAPTER 7: DISCUSSION, LIMITATIONS, & FUTURE RESEARCH
7.1 DISCUSSION
After determining what the barriers are in this sector, there are some important points to
be further discussed. These include; the situation in Guyana, effective influences in policy, the
role of champions, capacity building, and the relation of women’s empowerment and economic
development.
The conversation with the interviewee from Guyana was important as it showed a stark
contrast to other conversations in many ways. This conversation showed that commitment from
leadership to address gender relations is an important tool. Furthermore, having women
represented in decision-making roles was confirmed to be an important factor for the Guyana
situation. While most of the interviews identified potential issues that could be seen within their
own context, the Guyana conversation confirmed most of the suspicions by providing a successful
situation.
As was mentioned in this report, policy can be an effective tool for implementing change
to a situation. To aid with the implementation of policy, there are a couple of influences that
should be considered. International agencies have been heavily involved in energy policy
consultation. Energy policies that focus on sustainability can positively contribute to the
development of renewable energy (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016). From this, it is worth
considering what influence international agencies can have in energy consultation if gender
mainstreaming is part of the sustainability focused energy policy. Through this research project,
informal institutions were seen to be a barrier to gender representation in the Caribbean
49
sustainable energy sector. Other research has shown, perhaps unsurprisingly, that considering
informal institutions can be a positive influence for effective policy implementation. When
developing policies around sustainable energy development, the policy should consider utilizing
“informal channels of communication” (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016). To build on this point,
there is further evidence to suggest that understanding and effectively utilizing informal
institutions is important for successful projects. The UNDP has shown that gender mainstreaming
in energy and environment projects results in not just greater equity, but also greater efficiency
in the form of “enhance(d) results, increase(d) cost recovery, and improve(d) sustainability”.
These energy and environmental projects, and therefore policies, are more successful when
gender dynamics, amongst other socio-economic considerations, are accounted for (United
Nations Development Programme, 2007).
There was mention of the importance of having women represented in decision making
positions to aid in changing systemic under-representation. This is seen as important so that
opinions and concerns are proportionally voiced. Outside research has identified a similar trend.
In developing effective renewable energy policies, it has been seen as effective practice to
identify champions (Ince, Vredenburg, & Liu, 2016). In the gender mainstreaming context, the
UNDP has also seen importance in key gender advocates being represented within organizations
to help move along key concerns. With advocates, or champions, being viewed as important in
both renewable energy and gender mainstreaming, it can be assumed that there is a need for
champions of gender mainstreaming within the renewable energy policy context to positively
influence policy.
50
In the Guyana context, the interview showed how having leadership concerned with
gender relations was important. There is research that shows that changes can more effectively
be seen if capacity is built throughout all levels of an organization, not just at the leadership level.
It is encouraged to have gender relations addressed throughout energy systems. Oparaocha and
Dutta suggest taking this approach to “all levels, ranging from training for poor rural women who
need skills to operate energy technologies and businesses, to female and male energy
practitioners, researchers and policy makers who need tools to engage effectively with gender”.
It has been seen that gender mainstreaming policy is most effective when it is formulated with
all stakeholders involved. This has been shown to promote ownership of the policy (United
Nations Development Programme, 2007). With that said, if there is greater capacity of
understanding the issues within the organization, and all stakeholders are involved, there will be
more effective policy with greater ownership as well.
Another important discussion around the importance of gender mainstreaming is its
relationship to economic development. Greater development has shown to enhance women’s
empowerment. As well, greater women’s empowerment has been shown to improve economic
development. However, it needs to be understood that by initially improving one of these aspects
it does not mean a virtuous cycle will be initiated. Duflo’s research suggests that both aspects
will help but attention and commitment to improvement is a necessity for continuing
improvement.
Understanding the barriers in this industry is a necessity before moving forward with
potential solutions. These discussions provide a basis for how potential solutions could be
formulated and what considerations should be taken.
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7.2 LIMITATIONS
There are a few important limitations to this study that need to be discussed. This
research relied on interviews with individuals who have knowledge of the sustainable energy
sector within the Caribbean. There were 15 individuals interviewed in this research, so findings
could only be assessed from this sample size. The perspectives from these individuals also did
not cover the entire Caribbean region, so there are a few countries that could not be spoken to
with direct knowledge or experience. There was also a limitation in the diversity of careers that
were represented. There were not a complete set of career perspectives to speak to the
circumstance of every country. Due to the fact that this research was conducted on an overseas
region, all interviews had to be conducted through telecommunications. Not being physically
present for the interviews can sometimes create a small communication disconnect. Interviews
require an analysis of qualitative information. To ensure greater conclusiveness of the qualitative
results, established academic research was utilized to complement the qualitative findings. The
scope of this project is to understand what the barriers are to greater gender representation in
the Caribbean sustainable energy industry. Due to the scope of this project, solutions to these
barriers are not formally discussed. This provides an opportunity for future research.
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7.3 FUTURE RESEARCH
The Discussion and Limitations sections have provided the context for what future
research can be explored following this research project. The barriers have been researched in
this report, future research is necessary to determine the best methods to address the barriers.
The discussions section looked at a few important considerations when implementing solutions
to get by barriers in this sector. In the limitations section it was also mentioned that not all
Caribbean countries were addressed in the interview component of this research. It is important
to continue research with other countries as there may be unique circumstances that are worthy
of their own research. The conversation with a representative from Guyana displayed the
necessity of understanding each country’s perspective so that incorrect assumptions are not
made.
As was mentioned earlier, Caribbean nations due to their unique vulnerability have
considered actions to implement cleaner, and more independent energy sources. As this industry
continues to have greater market penetration, gender relations should be researched further.
This would allow for greater understanding of how industry maturity impacts gender
mainstreaming initiatives and if gender mainstreaming can be addressed through the maturity
of an industry. This would provide valuable information for new environmentally focused
industries.
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