A transition away from fossil-fuel towards renewable energy sources is inevitable, but what are the implications for women’s rights? The transition presents an opportunity to address the gender deficits of the current energy model and to embed principles of gender equality and justice in the design of new energy systems.

GI-ESCR has launched a Briefing Paper on Renewable Energy and Gender Justice analysing these issues. It provides an overview of the nexus between renewable energy and gender justice, drawing out several of the most significant opportunities and risks that the clean energy transition presents for women’s rights. It includes two case studies: from South Africa, on access to energy in urban communities, and from Mexico, on the impact of large-scale energy projects on human rights and how women human rights defenders are standing up for their communities’ rights.

This publication is released as part of a series of activities on the topic, including the Roundtable discussion on Renewable Energy and Gender Justice, organised by GI-ESCR and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung on 26 November 2020, which brought together women’s rights activists and experts from across the world.

The Roundtable, together with this Briefing Paper, contributed to advancing the collective understanding of gender equality and women’s rights in the context of the transition to renewable energy.