Originally a translator, Barbara Fischer-Aupperle fell into a role in hydropower to help bridge the gap of technical and non-technical functions. She has become a trailblazer for women in the sector, bridging the gender equality gap in the hydropower community.

As founding partner and board member of the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), Barbara shares her experience of working in the hydropower industry and celebrates the increase of female representation within the workforce.

“When I retired almost ten years ago, there wasn’t any support for women, or gender initiatives in corporations,” says Barbara. “Today, the picture has changed quite a bit, but there is still quite a way to go.”

Barbara and three other women professionals founded the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) in 2017, a global network with a focus on empowering women working in sustainable energy at different career levels from both the public and private sector.

Barbara is more than a trailblazer; she has mentored women from across the hydropower industry and become a role model for many others wishing to join the industry and be a part of the clean energy transition.

“I am fascinated with hydropower technology and its capability to be a low-carbon energy. I believe that we need the broadest possible pool of talent in the industry working towards reaching net zero. It’s important we take a holistic approach in the clean energy transition and demonstrate the increasing readiness of the industry to power progress.”

IHA and GWNET provided research and analysis for the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)’s report focused on assessing women’s participation in the hydropower sector. Titled, ‘Power with full force: Getting to gender equality in the hydropower sector’, the report draws out five key recommendations for policymakers and those in the sector:

• Start with education and implement actions to remove the constraints on the numbers of women who pursue STEM degrees.
• Identify gender gaps in the workplace and enact policies to close them.
• Raise awareness to promote hydropower as an appealing career for women.
• Provide mentoring, role models, and networking opportunities for women.
• Include more men in the gender inequality discussion and encourage them to be proactive to reduce the gaps.

“These recommendations are a starting point for the industry that should be worked on to increase the representation of women in the sector. With this in mind, the report shows that historically, the hydropower industry hasn’t marketed women, but times have changed, and more efforts are now being made.”

The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on 8 March 1911 when women and men gathered to campaign for women’s right in the workforce. In the hydropower community, the change has been gradual and now women make up an estimated 25% of the workforce.  IHA and GWNET have joined to create Women in Sustainable Hydropower (WISH) – a space online to connect, support, promote and empower women in hydropower and to encourage more women to join the industry.

We ended on Barbara’s aspirations for the future: I also wish for a future where we would no longer need to talk about gender equality. However, I do not expect this within my lifetime. It is a mission, each woman should drive on, so we do not fall back again! This is really about equal rights for everybody.”

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Story by Victoria Cardenas with interviewee Barbara Fischer-Aupperle.