PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized PublicDisclosureAuthorized ExploringOpportunitiesforWomen’sEmpowermentintheEnergySectorinCentralAsia 2024 ExploringOpportunitiesforWomen’sEmpowermentintheEnergySectorinCentralAsia ©2024InternationalBankforReconstructionandDevelopment/TheWorldBank1818HStreetNW WashingtonDC20433 Telephone:202-473-1000Internet:www.worldbank.org ThisworkisaproductofthestaffoftheWorldBank,withexternalcontributions.Thefindings,interpre-tations,andconclusionsexpressedinthisworkdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheWorldBank,itsBoardofExecutiveDirectors,orthegovernmentstheyrepresent. TheWorldBankdoesnotguaranteetheaccuracyofthedataincludedinthiswork.Theboundaries,col-ors,denominations,andotherinformationshownonanymapinthisworkdonotimplyanyjudgmentonthepartoftheWorldBankconcerningthelegalstatusofanyterritoryortheendorsementoracceptanceofsuchboundaries. RightsandPermissions Thematerialinthisworkissubjecttocopyright.BecausetheWorldBankencouragesdisseminationofitsknowledge,thisworkmaybereproduced,inwholeorinpart,fornoncommercialpurposesaslongasfullattributiontothisworkisgiven. Anyqueriesonrightsandlicenses,includingsubsidiaryrights,shouldbeaddressedtoWorldBankPub-lications,TheWorldBankGroup,1818HStreetNW,Washington,DC20433,USA;fax:202-522-2625;e-mail:pubrights@worldbank.org. Attribution—Pleasecitetheworkasfollows:WorldBank.2024.ExploringOpportunitiesforWomen’sEmpowermentintheEnergySectorinCentralAsia.Washington,DC:WorldBank. Photocredits Cover,pp.5,19,29:Zoteva|Shutterstock;p.v:PornpimonAinkaew|Shutterstock;p.viii:SofikoS|Shut-terstock;;p.1:kittiratroekburi|Shutterstock;p.11:WOSUNAN|Shutterstock;p.23:NFstock|Shutterstock Contents Acknowledgmentsii ExecutiveSummaryiii KeyFindingsiv Recommendationsix 1Introduction1 Context2 Methodology3 StructureoftheReport4 2Kazakhstan5 TransitionfromEducationtoWork6 Recruitment,Retention,andProgression7 SafeandInclusiveWorkEnvironments9 InstitutionalandPolicyReform10 3KyrgyzRepublic11 TransitionfromEducationtoWork12 Recruitment,Retention,andProgression13 SafeandInclusiveWorkEnvironments15 InstitutionalandPolicyReform16 4Tajikistan18 TransitionfromEducationtoWork19 Recruitment,Retention,andProgression21 SafeandInclusiveWorkEnvironments22 InstitutionalandPolicyReform22 5Uzbekistan23 TransitionfromEducationtoWork24 Recruitment,Retention,andProgression25 SafeandInclusiveWorkEnvironments27 InstitutionalandPolicyReform27 6Recommendations29 FacilitatetheTransitionfromEducationtoWork30 AdvanceRecruitment,Retention,andProgression32 PromoteSafeandInclusiveWorkEnvironments33 ReformInstitutionsandPolicies35 References38 Acknowledgments ThisreportwasproducedbyateamledbyJelenaLukic,SeniorSocialDevelopmentSpecialist,andcomposedofM.ManuelaFaria,SocialDevelopmentSpecialist,andJenniferSolotaroff,SeniorSocialDevelopmentSpecialist,withthesupportofErgonAssociates(JansMynbayevaandKirstenNewitt)andAlMarConsulting,andundertheoverallguidanceofVaralakshmiVemuru,PracticeManager,andTatianaProskuryakova,CountryDirector.ValuablecommentsandsuggestionswereprovidedbyTamaraBabayan,MarinaElefante,HiwoteTadesse,andSanaZia.LauraJohnsoneditedanddesignedthereport. Theprojectteamgratefullyacknowledgesthepartici-pantsofthefocusgroupsdiscussionsandkeyinformantinterviewsforsharingtheirviewstoinformofthisstudy. Thereportwaspreparedwiththetechnicalandfinan-cialsupportoftheEnergySectorManagementAssis-tanceProgram(ESMAP).ESMAPisapartnershipbetweentheWorldBankand19partnerstohelplow-andmiddle-incomecountriesreducepovertyandboostgrowththroughsustainableenergysolutions.ESMAP’sanalyticalandadvisoryservicesarefullyintegratedintotheWorldBank’scountryfinancingandpolicydialogueintheenergysector.ThroughtheWorldBankGroup,ESMAPworkstoacceleratetheenergytransitionrequiredtoachieveSustainableDevelopmentGoal7toensureaccesstoaffordable,reliable,sustainable,andmodernenergyforall.IthelpstoshapeBankstrategiesandprogramstoachievetheWorldBankGroup’sCli-mateChangeActionPlantargets. ExecutiveSummary W omenareunderrepresentedintheenergysectoracrossCentralAsia.Thesizeofthegendergapintheenergy workforcevariesconsiderablybycountry:nationalstatisticaldataindicatethatwomenrepresent29percentoftheindustry’sworkforceinKazakh-stan,18percentintheKyrgyzRepublic,15percentinUzbekistan,and11percentinTajikistan.Thispat-ternisconsistentwithglobalpatternsintheindus-try:womenaccountforanestimated16percentofenergysectoremploymentworldwide. Narrowingthesegendergapsiscrucialtosecur-ingthesustainabledevelopmentoftheenergysectoracrossCentralAsia.Increasingwomen’sparticipationinthesectorcanhelpeconomiesaddresslaborandskillsshortages,attractinvest-ment,boostenergyproduction,andenhanceeffi-ciency—facilitatingthetransitiontolow-carbonenergysourcesoverthelongterm.Thebenefitsofagender-diverseworkforcetocompaniesincludeabroadertalentrecruitmentpool,higherlevelsofinnovation,enhancedproblemsolving,andimprovedfinancialperformance. ThisstudyassessesgendergapsintheenergysectorinKazakhstan,theKyrgyzRepublic,Tajik-istan,andUz