12 Gender Justice in the Energy Transition Era …
375
This chapter therefore seeks to address the influence of the 4IR on the
extractives sector, especially the position of women amid the 4IR in this
energy transition era. The chapter explains why it is crucial to include
women in global economies. It then focuses on the position of women
historically and presently in both the mining and oil and gas sectors
globally, to show that there is a disproportionate number of women as
compared to men in these sectors, hence the need to address such gender
disparity. Emphasis is drawn towards AI technologies as a critical form of
technology that has the widest influence and application in these sectors
of the economy, and how its continued use could have an adverse effect
if efforts to upskill women in using such technologies, are not made. The
chapter concludes with a brief synopsis of the proposed solutions to the
aforementioned gender disparity problem in the mining and oil and gas
sectors of the global economy.
12.2 Why It Is Imperative to Include Women
in the Global Economy
The reasons for the disparity, as compared to men, are numerous, and
mostly relate to the circumstances where the technology field has often
been perceived as appropriate for men, thus explaining why it is male
dominated. To address this myth, the digital revolution ought to prioritize training and upskilling women in digital competencies, for example,
in the oil, gas and mining sectors.
For women, the oil, gas and mining sectors can provide for better
livelihoods by creating jobs, access to financing, business ownership and
the reduction of poverty within communities. In the last decade, there
has been a myriad of research revealing the participation of women in
the extractives sector. Such research prioritizes their economic empowerment to become critical economic drivers especially for developing
countries with mineral resource wealth, through access to finance; access,
use and control of land; licenses and permits to mine; skills development,
education and training, etc.
375
This chapter therefore seeks to address the influence of the 4IR on the
extractives sector, especially the position of women amid the 4IR in this
energy transition era. The chapter explains why it is crucial to include
women in global economies. It then focuses on the position of women
historically and presently in both the mining and oil and gas sectors
globally, to show that there is a disproportionate number of women as
compared to men in these sectors, hence the need to address such gender
disparity. Emphasis is drawn towards AI technologies as a critical form of
technology that has the widest influence and application in these sectors
of the economy, and how its continued use could have an adverse effect
if efforts to upskill women in using such technologies, are not made. The
chapter concludes with a brief synopsis of the proposed solutions to the
aforementioned gender disparity problem in the mining and oil and gas
sectors of the global economy.
12.2 Why It Is Imperative to Include Women
in the Global Economy
The reasons for the disparity, as compared to men, are numerous, and
mostly relate to the circumstances where the technology field has often
been perceived as appropriate for men, thus explaining why it is male
dominated. To address this myth, the digital revolution ought to prioritize training and upskilling women in digital competencies, for example,
in the oil, gas and mining sectors.
For women, the oil, gas and mining sectors can provide for better
livelihoods by creating jobs, access to financing, business ownership and
the reduction of poverty within communities. In the last decade, there
has been a myriad of research revealing the participation of women in
the extractives sector. Such research prioritizes their economic empowerment to become critical economic drivers especially for developing
countries with mineral resource wealth, through access to finance; access,
use and control of land; licenses and permits to mine; skills development,
education and training, etc.