Why is a gender equality project needed?

Despite the progress made in many areas, the energy sector is still heavily marked by gender segregation and inequality. This is not only a matter of fairness – it also affects the sector’s ability to reach its full potential.

Vätgas Sverige has received SEK 1.2 million in funding from the Swedish Gender Equality Agency to promote gender equality in the growing hydrogen industry. The project, in collaboration with PowerCell Group, Siemens Energy, Vattenfall AB and Lhyfe Sweden, aims to create change in a male-dominated sector.

Facts showing the need for change

Despite progress in many areas, statistics show that gender equality still lags behind in the energy sector. The facts below highlight why change is necessary to create an inclusive and innovative sector.

36% of positions on Swedish company boards are held by women, often as deputies.
(Source: SCB, 2021)

Only 13.6% of companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange have female CEOs.
(Source: SCB, 2023)

Source: Speaking of women and men – Lathund on gender equality 2022 SCB.

• Sweden has one of the most gender-segregated labor markets in the world and is on the way down – now in 8th place in the EU in terms of economic equality.
  (Source: European Institute for Gender Equality, 2023)
• Women in engineering professions earn on average 95% of what men earn for the same job – even after adjusting for part-time work and parental leave: (Source: Statistics Sweden, 2023).

Source: Speaking of women and men – Lathund on gender equality 2024 SCB.

How can it look like this?

Competence is often assessed differently depending on gender. Stereotypes about how men and women ‘should be’ influence how we evaluate their abilities, leading to norms guiding our assessments instead of objective criteria.

For example, research shows that the same CV is judged differently depending on whether it has a male or female name. A woman with identical qualifications to a man is considered worth 13% less salary on average . This reveals how we use different yardsticks depending on gender and fail to evaluate skills fairly.

The consequences are clear:

• Are you recruiting the most qualified person?
• Are salaries and career opportunities fairly distributed?

But the problems do not stop there. The differences are also reflected in pay discussions, performance reviews and the allocation of tasks:

• Who gets the most visible and successful missions?
• How do you ensure that development opportunities are distributed equally?

Lack of diversity hampers creativity and innovation

Diversity is essential for innovation, but it is not enough. Even in highly diverse work groups, discrimination can occur if gender equality is not part of the culture. Examples of this include:

• Dominance techniques that undermine employees. Examples include a woman’s suggestion being dismissed or ignored in meetings, while the same idea is accepted when put forward by a man.
• Systematically disadvantageous division of labor, where women are not given the jobs that lead to visible success.
• Unfair skills assessments, resulting in pay gaps and lack of career progression.

Common mistakes

Setting targets for the proportion of female managers without addressing the underlying problems can have the opposite effect: women risk being perceived as “quota-bound”, which can lead to increased discrimination and unfair expectations.

What needs to change

To create real change in the energy industry, we need:

• Fair and transparent processes for skills assessment and pay progression.
• Education and awareness-raising on how norms and stereotypes influence assessments and decisions.
• Systematic efforts to combat harassment and invisible discrimination.

It’s time to focus on the work environment and culture to ensure that everyone – regardless of gender – has the same opportunity to succeed.

References:

Coffman, K. B., Exley, C. L., & Niederle, M. (2021). The role of beliefs in driving gender discrimination. Management Science.

Moss-Racusin, C. A., Dovidio, J. F., Brescoll, V. L., Graham, M. J., & Handelsman, J. (2012). Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 109(41), 16474-16479.

Martell, Richard F. (1996) What mediates gender bias in work behavior ratings? Sex Roles, 35(3-4), 153-169.Heilman, Madeline E. & Suzette Caleo (2018) Combatting gender discrimination: A lack of fit framework Group Processes & Intergroup Relations 21(5), 725-744.

Eagly, Alice H., and Steven J. Karau (2002) Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological review 109, no. 3: 573.

Heilman, Madeline E. (2001) Description and prescription: How gender stereotypes prevent women’s ascent up the organizational ladder.
Journal of social issues 57, no. 4: 657-674.