Women in Kazakhstan’s Energy Industries: Implications for Energy Transition

Zauresh Atakhanova and Peter Howie
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Zauresh Atakhanova: School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
Peter Howie: Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-15

Abstract: Kazakhstan has a relatively high level of overall gender development, as well as of female employment in its energy industries. Diverse views and backgrounds are necessary to address the challenges of curbing emissions in Kazakhstan, a major fossil fuel producer and exporter. However, our analysis of the Labor Force Survey indicates that female representation among energy sector managers and overall workforce has been falling over time. Moreover, we find that women in Kazakhstan’s coal mining, petroleum extraction, and power industries are concentrated in low-skilled and non-core occupations. Next, by analyzing data on labor compensation within energy occupations, we discover signs of persistent vertical discrimination, which may reduce incentives for women to upgrade their skills. Finally, we find that major shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, may stall or reverse prior progress in increasing the energy sector’s gender diversity. Our findings contribute to raising gender awareness among the stakeholders in Kazakhstan’s energy sector in order to facilitate evidence-based gender mainstreaming.

Keywords: gender; diversity; discrimination; carbon neutrality; net-zero emissions; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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