Women in energy

The Queensland Government is committed to achieving gender equality in the state’s clean energy sector.

Survey

In 2023, the Department of Energy and Climate partnered with Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) to study the experiences of Women in Renewables and Energy (WiRE) in Queensland.

The Ai Group WiRE survey gathered information from over 100 women working in energy across Queensland and included workers in both the electricity industry and those in energy-related roles in other fields.

The survey builds upon existing employment-related gender indicator data collected in Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) surveys. It also provides a closer look at the factors affecting women’s working lives in Queensland’s energy sector.

Gender-specific information gathered through the survey include:

• demographics
• working arrangements
• barriers/enablers to career advancement.

Key findings

The Ai Group estimates Queensland’s energy sector employs approximately 10,000 women (about 35% of the total workforce).

The survey indicates that:

• about 62% of the female workforce is employed in the electricity supply industry and 23% in energy-related roles in the manufacturing industry. Smaller numbers are also employed in mining, construction, and transport.
• about 89% of females are employed on a permanent, full-time basis. Only a small proportion usually work non-standard hours. As energy-related roles are frequently associated with non-standard working arrangements, this is likely to contribute to the gender pay gap in Queensland’s energy sector.
• while 64% of respondents report they have access to and use various flexible working arrangements, factors such as caring responsibilities and hours/location of work are still the greatest barriers to career advancement.
• on-the-job training and cultural factors, e.g. changing gender expectations and visible female leadership, are the greatest enablers of female career advancement.

Equal by 30 campaign alliance

On 7 March 2024, Queensland became the first Australian state to join the international Equal by 30 campaign.

The campaign aims to achieve equal pay, leadership and opportunities by 2030. Organisations that join the campaign agree to:

• endorse the Equal by 30 principles
• develop specific commitments
• take concrete action to achieve gender equality in the energy sector.

Our commitments

To fulfil our agreement, the Queensland Government aims to deliver gender equality in the clean energy sector and significantly improve outcomes for women.

Women in renewables strategy

The government has committed to developing a Women in renewables strategy in partnership with key stakeholders, which include:

• the clean energy sector
• training institutions
• councils
• community members including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Our strategy aims to increase women’s leadership and participation in the energy sector, with a focus on supporting women in regional Queensland.

Gender equity in energy related qualifications

This commitment seeks to take practical steps to increase gender diversity in the energy sector.

It will achieve this by driving greater participation in, and completion of, apprenticeships and training in vocational and university-level programs, particularly in fields that have traditionally been dominated by men.

Improve and share access to gender data and information

This commitment aims to provide greater transparency in the energy sector and guide the development of gender equality policies and initiatives.

It will achieve this by working across government departments and the energy industry, including Queensland’s publicly-owned energy businesses to improve data collection and reporting on gender participation in the clean energy workforce.

Support Queensland’s publicly-owned energy business to achieve gender equality

This commitment will focus on setting clear expectations and monitoring Queensland’s publicly-owned businesses to lead the way in gender diversity and equality.

It will do this through:

• providing industry leadership in gender diversity and equality for women
• continuing to deliver strong, practical actions to create and maintain an inclusive work culture
• working to close the gender gap in the clean energy workforce.

Gender inclusivity in the Queensland Government

This commitment intends to pioneer gender inclusive recruitment and promotion with a focus on increasing the participation of women in the Department of Energy and Climate and the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training. The aim is to achieve gender balance across all levels and occupational types within the organisation.