This Monday 01 March 2021, one of the most prominent digital Latin American media, México Social, published an op-ed by GI-ESCR’s Executive Director, Magdalena Sepúlveda and Programme Officer on Women Rights and Gender Equality, Alejandra Lozano, on the risks and opportunities that a transition to renewable energies might entail for the realisation of women’s rights.

As the climate crisis has become one of the greatest challenges for the realisation of human rights, scaling up climate ambition and striving for a rapid transition to renewable energy are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and halt the worst effects of this crisis. However, the transition to renewable energy should not replicate or deepen existing inequalities, Instead, it should contribute to reshape our political and economic systems into ones that respect rights, protect the environment, and ensure substantive gender equality.

The extractive fossil fuel model that until now has powered our societies and economies has been gender blind, ignoring women’s energy needs and the impact of gender roles and intersectional discrimination in energy policy frameworks and energy production. As a result, gender inequalities remain in the production, use and control of energy resources and the provision of energy solutions worldwide.

GI-ESCR is working to develop a better understanding, based on community and bottom-up approaches, of how we can advance gender equality and women's economic, social and cultural rights in the context of the transition to low-carbon economies.

Read the op-ed in México Social (in Spanish) and stay tuned on our upcoming activities in this emerging area of work!