WIE
Women in Energy – Gas, Mining, and Oil: Quick Take
Published on : 2020-01-29
GLOBAL
There Are Fewer Women in Oil and Gas Than Almost Any Other Major Industry1
Women account for less than a quarter (22%) of employees in the oil and gas industry.2
Gender diversity decreases with seniority. Across the world, women account for:3
- 27% of entry-level positions (requiring college degrees)
- 25% of mid-career roles
- 17% of senior/executive-level roles
- 1% of CEOs
Women are especially scarce in technical and field roles, which often lead to advancement. Among entry-level positions requiring college degrees, women fill 50% of office and business support roles, compared to only 15% of technical and field roles.4
Power and Utilities: More Women Leaders, but a Long Way to Parity5
The global power and utilities industry has increased the representation of women on boards over the past five years—from 2% in 2014 to 17% in 2019.6
Women in Senior Management in the Power and Utilities Industry7 | |
---|---|
Global | 15% |
North America | 22% |
Europe | 15% |
Latin America and the Caribbean | 13% |
Africa and the Middle East | 9% |
Asia-Pacific | 9% |
A Higher Share of Women Work in Renewable Energy Than in Oil and Gas8
Women make up nearly a third (32%) of the global renewable energy workforce.9
- Within the industry, more women work in administrative jobs (45%) than in STEM-related roles (28%).10
Women’s Representation in Senior Leadership Is Slowly Increasing11
In 2018, only 19 women (10%) were executives in the top 20 energy companies in the Fortune Global 500. This is a small increase from 8% in 2014.12
- Half of the top 20 companies in this industry have zero women on their executive teams.13
The energy industry has one of the lowest shares of women leaders in the Asia Pacific region.14
- Among the top 100 energy companies in the region, women are 15% of board members and 0% of CEOs.15
- In Australia, women are nearly a quarter of employees (24.8%) and managers (22.4%) in the electricity, gas, water, and waste services sector, but less than one-fifth of employees (16.7%) and managers (17.2%) in the mining sector.16
- In Japan, women account for 0% of the mining and quarrying of stone and gravel industry, and a small portion (13.8%) of the electricity, gas, heat supply, and water industry.17
Less than a quarter (21.2%) of employees in the United Kingdom’s mining, energy, and water supply industry were women in 2018.18
CANADA
The Mining Industry Remains a Major Canadian Employer, Yet Remains Male-Dominated19
In 2018, women made up:20
- 25.2% of the labor force in utilities.
- 17.9% of the labor force in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
Visible Minority Women Account for a Small Share of Canada’s Energy Industry
As of the 2016 Census, visible minority women were:21
- 4.2% of the labor force in utilities.
- 2.8% of the labor force in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
Women Remain a Minority Among Senior Leadership
Among TSX-listed companies, women account for a larger share of senior leaders in the utilities and pipelines industry (26% of board directors and 19% of executive officers) compared to other industries.22
- However, women are a small minority of senior leaders in other sectors.23
- Mining: 9% of board directors and 14% of executive officers.
- Oil and gas: 7% of board directors and 9% of executive officers.
UNITED STATES
In Energy Companies, Women Make Up a Small Percentage of the C-Suite24
Among the largest energy companies in 2017, women accounted for:25
- C-suite: 21%
- CEOs: 7%
- CFOs: 10%
- CIOs: 21%
Women’s Share of the Workforce in Energy-Related Industries in 201826 | |
---|---|
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 13.8% |
Oil and gas extraction | 19.1% |
Coal mining | 6.2% |
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying | 12.4% |
Support activities for mining | 14.8% |
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing | 16.0% |
Utilities | 21.4% |
The solar industry is more diverse than other energy industries. In 2018, women made up slightly more than a quarter (26.3%) of the solar workforce.27