Powering the Future: Women, Innovation, and Future Jobs

Asia and the Pacific is undergoing transformation driven by clean energy transition, technological innovation, digitalization, and growing investments in renewable energy, battery technologies, and climate-resilient infrastructure. These shifts are reshaping labor markets and workforce demands while creating new opportunities across renewable energy, green industries, and evolving critical minerals value chains. However, women remain underrepresented across many technical and leadership areas of the energy sector, while persistent barriers—including unequal access to technical education and skills development, occupational segregation, workplace barriers, unpaid care responsibilities, and restrictive social norms—continue to limit women's participation and advancement in the future energy economy.

At the same time, the transition presents an opportunity to build more inclusive and equitable workforce systems and energy pathways. This Deep Dive Workshop will explore how the clean energy transition and evolving critical minerals landscape are reshaping workforce demands, skills needs, and future opportunities across renewable energy and green industries. Through strategic framing, DMC perspectives, and practical case studies, the session will highlight approaches to strengthen women's skills, leadership, reskilling, and access to future jobs through policies, workforce systems, and innovation pathways.