Despite growing global focus on climate action, women in green jobs remain invisible. This World Environment Day, the spotlight must shift, not just to the planet, but to the people being left behind.
Every year on June 5, the world celebrates World Environment Day to encourage awareness and action for the environment. The theme for 2025 is Ending Global Plastic Pollution, aimed at protecting ecosystems from the harmful effects of plastic waste. While this campaign rightly deserves global attention, we must not overlook the lack of women in green on World Environment Day.
Green jobs play a significant role in tackling the climate and environmental crises. However, women remain largely absent from this growing workforce. If the world truly wants to move toward sustainability and a green economy, we can’t ignore the role of gender equity in that process.
What are green jobs?
Green jobs help protect or restore the environment. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines green jobs as “decent jobs that contribute to the preservation or restoration of the environment.” These include roles in both traditional industries, such as construction or manufacturing and emerging sectors like renewable energy and electric mobility. People in green jobs may work on:
- Reducing waste and pollution
- Conserving energy and water
- Restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
- Building climate-resilient infrastructure
- Shifting to clean energy sources
Women remain excluded from the green economy
Women often lose access to green jobs even before hiring begins. Fewer girls are encouraged to study STEM subjects. Moreover, many women hear that these roles are not suited for them. Even those who show interest are discouraged by safety concerns, cultural expectations, and limited support.
Where are the women in green jobs?
A study by India’s Skill Council for Green Jobs in 2023 revealed that men took up 85% of green skill training opportunities. More than 90% of women surveyed believed that societal norms prevented their participation in such training programs. These beliefs, paired with logistical and familial responsibilities, hold women back from preparing for jobs in high-growth green sectors.
This lack of access has consequences. For example, women currently make up just 32% of the global renewable energy workforce. Unfortunately, in India, this drops to 11%. In water utility management, the figure sits at 23%. For every 100 men who qualify as “green talent,” only 62 women make the list. This talent gap restricts women’s chances to contribute meaningfully to climate action and weakens the overall impact of green industries.
Is India’s Green Job Market Leaving Women Behind?
The International Labour Organisation predicts that India will create 3.7 million green jobs in 2025. By 2047, that number could reach 35 million. These jobs span across renewable energy, electric mobility, sustainable construction, and more. However, most of these sectors have seen consistently low women’s participation. Unless India makes deliberate efforts to include women, the transition to a low-carbon economy will deepen existing gender disparities.
The International Monetary Fund says women remain underrepresented in sustainability-linked industries, even though these sectors are rapidly expanding. Women are often left behind in securing jobs in renewable energy, sustainable farming, and waste management. In many cases, they continue working in polluting industries not by choice, but because green jobs remain out of reach.
There is also poor availability of gender-disaggregated data. Without reliable numbers, it becomes difficult to track women’s presence or absence in the green workforce. This gap prevents policymakers, companies, and educators from designing inclusive programs or setting meaningful targets.
The Natural Resources Defence Council pointed out that although women make up nearly half of India’s population, little is known about their roles in the green economy. The lack of data also hides the challenges women face, such as limited access to loans, poor representation in leadership, and policies that fail to account for caregiving responsibilities.
Women work in sectors most affected by climate change
Although women are missing from many green and climate-resilient industries like renewable energy or sustainable transport, they are highly active in sectors that are directly exposed to the effects of climate change. Women make up nearly half of the global agricultural workforce, and in South Asia, this number is close to 69%. They also dominate the global fish processing sector, where they account for 85% of the workforce.
However, the jobs women hold in these areas are often informal, poorly paid, and offer little job security. These roles are rarely recognised as part of formal employment, which means women receive fewer protections, benefits, or opportunities to grow. As climate change worsens, causing droughts, floods, and depleting natural resources, agriculture and fisheries are heavily impacted. This puts the income and livelihoods of millions of women at serious risk.
Vulnerable yet overlooked
What makes this situation worse is that although women contribute significantly to sectors that are most vulnerable to environmental damage, they are still left out of the green industries that are building climate solutions. In other words, women are on the frontlines of the climate crisis but are rarely part of the teams solving the problem.
Climate action and gender equality go hand in hand. Leaving women behind weakens both. On World Environment Day, as we talk about ending plastic pollution, we must also push for a future where green jobs are for everyone, not just a select few.
Women in green jobs: The battle India cannot afford to lose
For a green economy to be truly sustainable, it must also be inclusive. That means India and other countries must act now to break down barriers that keep women out. Green skills training must become accessible to all, and gender stereotypes should no longer influence STEM education. Workplaces in green industries must address safety and flexibility, while policies should provide clear pathways for women to grow and lead.
On this World Environment Day, it is important to see climate action not just as a fight against pollution or carbon emissions, but also as a chance to correct long-standing inequalities. A fairer, greener future depends on whether women are allowed to take part not just as victims of climate change but as leaders, workers, and decision-makers in building a better world.
At Changeincontent, we believe that green economies cannot thrive while half the population is sidelined. Gender-inclusive climate action is not just a goal; it is a necessity.
Also Read: Women’s role in sustainability: Women are the changemakers for a sustainable tomorrow.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history, encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
