Full Title: Exploring Opportunities for Gender Diversity in the Mining and Energy Sector in Serbia
Author(s): Jelena Lukic, M. Manuela Faria, Rachel Bernice Perks, Varalakshmi Vemuru, and Nicola Pontara
Publisher(s): World Bank Group
Publication Date: December 22, 2022
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Description (excerpt):
Women are underrepresented in the mining and energy sector in Serbia. According to national statistical data, women account for only 17 percent of Serbia’s mining and energy workforce, which is slightly lower than the global average of 19 percent for the energy sector. As a consequence, women represent a major source of untapped talent for the sector, both in Serbia and worldwide.
Closing gender gaps in Serbia’s mining and energy sector presents a potentially powerful source of competitive advantage for the industry, especially in the context of a rapidly changing global energy landscape. International research shows that greater female inclusion in the workforce offers a range of concrete benefits to companies across all sectors.
Given the ongoing transformation of Serbia’s energy and mining sector and its projected growth over the next 10 years, a greater focus on equal opportunity and women’s inclusion in the workforce and leadership could bring significant national economic and social development benefits in addition to greater opportunities for the performance and growth of individual companies.
This study is the first targeted gender assessment in Serbia’s mining and energy sector, and it aims to stimulate dialogue among policy makers, companies, and other actors on how best to strengthen women’s participation in mining and energy. It provides new and detailed quantitative information on women’s current role in the sector and qualitative information on the key barriers to women’s increased participation and success. This new research provides the foundation for targeted recommendations for how policy makers and companies can work together to enhance gender diversity and inclusion and reduce gender gaps in the energy and mining sector.