Energy: ENEA - IEA report, women trained and competent but excluded from top leadership

In Italy there are highly qualified women in the energy sector who are being denied access to top positions. This is what emerges from the second report on gender equality in the sector, coordinated by ENEA as part of the Technology Collaboration Program of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The data show that our country has a good ranking position in scientific education with women accounting for 37% of the total graduates, with a maximum 40% reached by Sweden, which participated in the survey together with Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile and Finland.

As for higher education, Italy is in a leading position with a percentage of 52% female doctoral degrees. As concerns leadership positions in the public sector, the percentage of female ministers competent in energy matters is considerably lower (an average of 13% in the period 1980-2017, as against 31% in Sweden (top of the list).

Italy is last for leadership positions In current parliamentary committees and ranks a little better in deputy positions (25%) or in general in the composition of members (25%).

The most important private companies in the sector have no female CEOs at all, but the highest number of female presidents (placing first with 40%) and members of the Board of Directors (also placing first with 35%). Industrial associations rank low in all the positions surveyed. Finally, in the research sector, Italy is at the top for general manager or equivalent positions (22%, second place after Canada), but no woman holds the position of president and we rank last in management positions.

"The barriers women face in the energy sector are similar to those they face in industrialized countries in other fields. However, many studies have shown that a greater presence of women in different sectors of the economy would bring economic and social benefits to all. Therefore, it’s necessary to urge decision-makers both in the public and private sectors to commit to removing obstacles and favoring equal access to professional paths ", ENEA researcher Elena De Luca explained.

“Our survey, conducted thanks to the collaboration with ISPRA and RSE for research in Italy, shows how the average number of women in management and on boards is higher in those Italian and international companies that have joined 'Equal by 30”, a campaign targeted at companies and institutions for the adoption by 2030 of equal measures in terms of opportunities, wage levels and leadership", Tania Giuffrida, the other ENEA researcher who worked on the report, concluded.

For more information please contact:

“Technologies Monitoring and Evaluation””:

• Elena De Luca, elena.deluca@enea.it
• Tania Giuffrida, tania.giuffrida@enea.it

For the unabridged report: https://www.iea.org/media/topics/gender/GenderStatusReport-English.pdf

For information on Equal by 30: equalby30.org