Syllabus: GS- I, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Issue related to women, Issue: Green jobs and women
Context- Unlocking benefit of green jobs for women
Green Jobs:
- ILO defines Green jobs as decent jobs contributing to environmental preservation.
Concerns for women:
- Mostly in sectors with low female participation (manufacturing, construction etc.)
- Men are likely to transition to green jobs faster than women.
- Study by the Skill Council for Green Jobs (2023) found that 85% of green skills training was for men.
- Over 90% of women feel, social norms limit their participation in green job training.
- Restrictive social norms include– belief that women are unsuitable for certain roles, safety concerns, low representation in STEM subjects, and familial constraints.
The way ahead:
- Collect sex-disaggregated data and map emerging green growth areas.
- Early interventions like hands-on learning, mentorship, and financial assistance.
- Support women entrepreneurs by – Gender focused financial policies and products, collateral-free lending, financial literacy training, and supportive networks.
- Multi-pronged strategies focusing on employment, social protection, and skill development.
- Increasing women in leadership positions.
| +1 Advantage for mains (Data point):
·        Transition to low-carbon development could create 35 million green jobs in India by 2047. ·        Despite 42.7% of STEM graduates being women, they represent only 30.8% in key sectors for green transition in India. ·        Despite a 250% increase in renewable energy capacity, only 11% of workers in solar rooftop sectors are women. ·        COP 28’s high-level dialogue launched ‘Gender-Responsive Just Transitions and Climate Action Partnership’ to address gender gaps in climate action. |
