Advancing Women Leaders in Energy

With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Europe & Eurasia, Energy Infrastructure Division, the National Association for Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is supporting women leaders in energy regulatory agencies through the Advancing Women Leaders in Energy project.

The Need for Gender Equity in the Energy Sector

When women participate in the workforce, organizations broaden perspectives, increase creativity and innovation, and improve decision-making. However, across the energy industry, there are very few women in top-tier positions. Only 15 percent of senior management positions are held by women in the power and utilities industry.

In the Europe & Eurasia region, socio-cultural norms – such as a deficit in training, a lack of anti-discrimination policies, and ingrained barriers to pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) – have precluded many women from advancing to senior-level positions. Women more often hold positions in public relations and human resources, and are less likely to be considered for leadership roles. For mid-level career women, inadequate career development support in their organizations, including limited training and mentoring opportunities and insufficient workplace flexibility, combined with inequitably shared household obligations, often leads to a departure from the workplace or even the workforce.

The Solution: Training, Mentorship, and Workplace Transformation

Through the Advancing Women Leaders in Energy project, NARUC supports promising mid-career professionals in energy regulatory agencies of Europe and Eurasia to transform socio-cultural norms and policies within their organizations to build a more inclusive workforce. The project also provides participants with tailored training and mentorship to advance their careers as leaders of the region’s energy sector.

Human Resources Track

At an institutional level, NARUC is working with Human resources (HR) departments within energy regulatory agencies to change prevailing socio-cultural norms by assessing current hiring and promotion practices, implementing anti-discriminatory policies, and providing gender awareness training.

Mid-Career Track

At an individual level, NARUC is supporting mid-career professionals through an eight-month capacity development initiative which works to hone participants’ communications and public speaking skills, support them with career planning, and develop critical leadership expertise in key competencies, such as project management, negotiation, business strategy, and team management.

Expected Results

Increased gender awareness and improved Human Resource practices that create inclusive and unbiased policies and procedures;
Flexible work schedules established to support mid-level female employees and their career development;
Mentoring programs established to support more junior female employees. These programs will be integrated with U.S.-European networks to sustainably assist female career development;
Increased capabilities of mid-career professionals, enabling them to become future women leaders in the Europe & Eurasia region.

Hear from Women Leaders in the Energy Sector

This collection of videos from women leaders around the world is full of advice and personal stories about the value of mentorship in career development.