Green Jobs: A Path to Gender Equality in Latin America?

Photo credits: Freepik

By Maïra de Roussan, Researcher at EmpoderaClima

The creation of green jobs presents a great opportunity for bridging the gender gap in Latin America. Worldwide, gender inequality has been a pervasive issue for centuries, affecting women's access to education, economic opportunities, and leadership roles, and in the Latin America region, the situation is no different. According to UN Women, there are 122 women aged 25-34 living in poverty for every 100 men. As the region faces the increasing impacts of climate change, it is becoming clear that women bear a disproportionate burden due to their socio-economic status and traditional roles within society. Women's participation in green jobs is vital for the region to achieve real  sustainable development, ensuring a future that is greener and more equitable for all.

Gender Inequality in Latin America: an Overview

According to the International Labour Organization, women are more likely to find themselves in low-paying, precarious jobs with limited job security and social mobility. Indeed, in Latin America, they are often overrepresented in the informal economy and care work, with 21.7% engaged in full-time unpaid care work, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and lacking institutional protections. The majority of employed women are in the services  (41.1%) and commerce (29.9%) sectors. They are almost completely absent in sectors presenting green job opportunities such as electricity, gas, water, construction and transport. Moreover, women often experience challenges in accessing education and healthcare due to their traditional societal role as caregivers, limiting their ability to improve their independence and socio-economic status. These disparities in income, employment opportunities, and access to resources have hindered progress toward gender equality in the region.

The scenario of gender inequality in Latin America is powered even further by the impacts of climate change. Despite the region’s contribution of only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions (8%), Latin America faces extreme weather events, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, erratic rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels.  When disasters strike, women and children are more likely to die than men, and are often left with increased caregiver duties for family members, further limiting their ability to pursue education or employment. 

Additionally, the degradation of resources and increasing scarcity resulting from climate change can lead to violence against women, making them more vulnerable to harassment, attacks, and sexual violence. Women in rural areas are even more vulnerable as productive land becomes more difficult to find due to pollution and climate change. In this context, the challenge is to harness the potential of green jobs to empower women in the face of these climate-related adversities.

Green Jobs: A Possible Solution for Gender Equality?

The Paris Agreement of 2015 represents a big step towards action against climate change. In fact, 196 countries are signatories, committing to actively work toward the established goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In this scenario, creating green jobs is a crucial factor to reach that goal.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), green jobs are those that contribute significantly to environmental preservation and restoration while promoting worker rights and welfare. It encompasses jobs that aim to protect biodiversity, increase renewable energy production, decarbonize the economy, decrease pollution, among others. This includes professionals in areas such as clean transportation, recycling, construction, waste management and more. As stated by UNEP, it is expected that by 2030 at least 20 million additional green jobs will be created, representing a big opportunity for new workers entering the labor market.

The global push for carbon neutrality, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, has catalyzed the development of greener economies, resulting in unprecedented job creation. An excellent example is the European Green Deal, which emphasizes climate legislation, massive investments in green job creation and extending support to green initiatives beyond Europe, including those in Africa. However, there’s no way to ensure a global and just low carbon transition that promotes sustainable economic growth without integrating gender equality initiatives as a priority, pursuant to SDG5.

How would Green Jobs Bridge the Gender Gap?

As mentioned earlier, women in Latin America mostly occupy jobs in the informal sector, or do unpaid domestic labor. The emergence of thousands of new green jobs opens a door of endless possibilities as it offers training opportunities for inexperienced professionals. The need for a newly qualified workforce represents an opportunity to integrate  women in new markets and learn different skills.

Incorporating women in green jobs provides them with better employment prospects, leading to improved well-being, social equity, and economic empowerment, breaking down gender barriers and changing the labor market where women are expected to occupy traditional roles. Also, their active participation in green economic activities is crucial for achieving equitable and sustainable development. Green jobs in renewable energy, for example, are already providing employment for millions, and further investments in the sector could result in even more job opportunities for women. 

Challenges along the road 

Despite the green transition’s potential to empower women, challenges remain in ensuring that they can access these opportunities. One of the main challenges is the systemic inequalities that may limit women's access to green jobs. Women may also face difficulties in obtaining adequate training and experience in these sectors because of the historical gap in accessing education and other working opportunities. Many green jobs are expected to be concentrated in historically male-dominated industries such as construction. In order to address this, it is imperative that countries invest in women’s education, training and skill development to give them the qualifications necessary to enter the green job market. This is no easy task, but through international cooperation countries can more easily achieve this goal.

Photo credits: Freepik

How can we get there?

Climate change is a worldwide issue that doesn’t account for land borders. Therefore, international cooperation is crucial to address this crisis. Latin America is composed of developing countries that suffer with many inequality and poverty issues, hindering their efforts to fight climate change. That’s why the region relies heavily on international assistance to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals.

For this reason, developed countries that are signatories of the Paris Agreement have made a commitment to provide financial assistance to developing countries to ensure a green transition, as established by Article 9. This commitment entails providing financial support to help these nations adopt greener technologies, mitigate the effects of climate change, and transition to sustainable economies. However, as the climate crisis intensifies, there is a growing consensus that developed countries need to significantly increase their efforts and contributions to fulfill these commitments.

Moreover, in order to integrate women in the new green job market, national and local governments must fund and create public policies to offer training courses for women as well as integrative strategies to address the gender gap from all angles. International cooperation presents a solid path to promote the creation of green jobs for women in the Global South, as national and local governments collaborate with international organizations and development banks to provide concrete solutions. Nowadays, many international organizations offer technical assistance to cities and countries for innovative solutions. Cities are also starting to collaborate with one another through a series of networks such as C40 Cities, GCoM and ICLEI, which promote knowledge sharing, collaborative projects, and technical skills.

This multifaceted approach is essential to ensure not only the transition to a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable future but also to empower women, enhance gender equality, and create opportunities for them in the emerging green job sectors. Hence, green job creation offers the potential for Latin American economies to transition to low-carbon, sustainable models while also bridging the gender gap.

Green Jobs Initiatives for Women in Latin America

Several initiatives in Latin America are already focused on creating green jobs for women, including: 

• Female Electric Bus Drivers in Bogota, Colombia: La Rolita is the first 100% electric public transport operator, with 195 buses and 254 women drivers, representing 50% of the company's total drivers. The company trains women with no experience in bus driving. Despite the high costs, the company is committed to closing the gender gap and has found a way to be financially viable.

• Marias na Construção in Salvador, Brazil: Launched in 2019, this program trains vulnerable women for various jobs in the construction sector, including green jobs such as photovoltaic systems installation. This initiative promotes women's integration in the workforce, as they also receive guidance on entrepreneurship, sustainability and safe construction practices.

Indigenous Women as Green Job Pioneers

If we talk about women in Latin America, we must talk about Indigenous women and their role in the fight against climate change. They have performed informal green jobs for years while practicing sustainable agriculture and resource management, making them pioneers in this field. Their traditional knowledge, resilience, and sustainable practices serve as an example for women across the region. Their historical participation in the green job “field” should be a reference point for achieving gender equality through environmental sustainability.

In conclusion, green job creation is an opportunity for Latin America to address both climate change and gender inequality simultaneously. The transition to a green economy offers the potential to empower women by providing access to better employment opportunities, higher wages, and career growth. Women's active participation in green jobs is essential for the region to achieve equitable sustainable development and protect the environment, creating a greener, more equitable, and prosperous future for all.