by Phillip Gerrad Thong 

Introduction

The energy sector has long been stereotyped as a male-dominated field. According to the ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE), only 8% of ASEAN’s energy workforce are women; moreover, fewer of them hold leadership roles in the sector. This might be traced back to its historical association with occupational roles dealing with heavy engineering, technical work, and physical labor, all of which have been considered as more suitable for men. This inequality and gender bias in the workforce raises an urgent question of how ASEAN can achieve an inclusive energy transition if half of the population remains underrepresented and underserved.  

Women, especially the housewives who live in rural and low-income areas, are mainly responsible for household energy use, such as cooking and cleaning. However, they are often excluded from decisions about clean energy development, and most national energy sectors are gender-blind (UN Women Asia and the Pacific, 2025; ADB, 2024). Males are still, to this day, the dominant workforce in the energy sector, and women remain underrepresented with structural barriers, such as a lack of inclusion in decision-making and limited training (The Palladium Group, 2024). Although ASEAN nations have long been trying to achieve net-zero carbon through different approaches, such as expanding renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, boosting efficiency, and many more, gender inequality continues to persist, and inclusivity is often neglected due to the lacking of gender-based disaggregated data. Along with that, there has been insufficient evidence on the measurement, tracking, and reporting of the role of women in the energy sector, including their workforce, participation, and decision-making ability.  

To address the issue, governments require to design gender-responsive policies based on data and evidence of women’s contributions to clean and efficient energy to ensure that inequality risks have been mitigated. 

Thus, this article describes how establishing robust gender-related data systems is crucial for ASEAN’s clean energy transition towards renewable energy and towards a more carbon-neutral region. By investing in measurement and inclusive planning related to gender equality, ASEAN can strengthen climate action and move closer to a more sustainable future. 

Key Insights and Analysis: What is Missing  

ASEAN’s energy demand is expected to double by 2050. This is driven by industrial growth, rapid urbanisation, and rising incomes (UNESCAP, 2024). Even though these policies focus on infrastructure, financing, and technology, the social dimensions of energy switching remain weakly addressed. For example, women still face disproportionate energy challenges. They are often responsible for household energy use, from cooking to lighting, yet they are excluded from the decision-making process about clean energy deployment. In the energy workforce, women remain underrepresented, with barriers rooted in cultural norms, lack of training opportunities, and gender-blind recruitment. 

There are gaps in ASEAN’s gender data in the energy sector, as there are no records of participants and the recipients of the benefits, especially in the disaggregated data by gender (UN Women, 2023). An example is when household energy access is reported in terms of electrification rates, it does not factor in the gender impacts on energy usage. Decision-making leadership in energy ministries, businesses, and companies lacks transparent reporting on gender representation and effectiveness in dealing with energy-related issues. 

Why It Matters 

Even though workforce diversity is proven to improve innovation and problem-solving, regions are still relying on male-dominated energy teams. Thus, climate action plans are at risk of overseeing women’s experiences and knowledge.  

In contrast to that, regions that promote gender equality and have factual gender data have achieved and shown better outcomes. An example of this is in South Asia, where programs that involved women or included women in solar entrepreneurship were able to adopt higher renewable rates, income opportunities, and local acceptance (IRENA, 2019; Sumarno et al., 2024). It shows that gender-responsive planning creates measurable environmental and social benefits. 

Proposed Solution: An ASEAN Gender-Energy Data Hub 

To address these challenges, ASEAN should establish an ASEAN Gender-Energy Data Hub. In this case, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) would play a central role in strengthening data systems. This could be achieved by collecting gender-disaggregated information on energy access, participation, and leadership; gathering annual reports from energy ministries and private-sector actors; providing training for national statistics offices and energy agencies; publishing open-access dashboards to enhance transparency; and supporting evidence-based policymaking that advances a more inclusive and effective energy transition across the region. 

Local NGOs, CSOs, businesses, and universities related to this problem can support with data collection, research, and analysis. 

Connection to SDGs and Impact 

Gender issues are connected not only to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) but also to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). The collected data ensures that clean energy programs involve women, ensuring they are no longer overlooked in decision-making, workforce, or implementation stage. This inclusion allows the energy sector to benefit from women’s insights, knowledge, and leadership, while also supporting an inclusive and equitable workforce in renewable energy initiatives (UN Women Asia and the Pacific, 2025; UNESCAP, 2024). A gender-responsive approach also advances SDG 7 by promoting fair access to renewable energy and ensuring that clean energy solutions meet the needs of the people. Furthermore, the issue directly supports SDG 13 (Climate Action), as inclusive climate planning that engages both men and women strengthens social resilience, enhances policy legitimacy, and improves the effectiveness of adaptation and mitigation strategies. 

Challenges and Way Forward 

However, implementing this gender-energy data hub comes with certain obstacles and challenges. Institutional barriers remain a major challenge, as many statistics offices lack sufficient resources or technical expertise to obtain gender data (ADB, 2024). In addition, policy resistance can arise when governments choose not to prioritise gender-based data reporting, often redirecting limited funds and support toward other sectors they deem more urgent. The cost of collecting, managing, and maintaining robust data systems also poses a significant hurdle, requiring substantial and continuous investment in operation and maintenance. Furthermore, fragmentation persists across ASEAN, where member states have diverse capacities and varying levels of readiness, leading to inconsistencies in gender data collection and reporting. 

These challenges can be addressed by starting to put or initiate gender consideration into the APAEC 2026–2030 targets and action plan, ensuring that gender-responsive reporting becomes a regional priority. Providing incentives, as highlighted by SIPET (2025) and the Global Energy Alliance (2025), can further motivate governments and institutions to improve data collection efforts. Donor support from these same organisations can also help bridge financial and technical gaps. Additionally, establishing regional standards can promote consistency and harmonisation across ASEAN, enabling countries with varying capacities to work toward a unified approach to gender data reporting. 

Conclusion and Call to Action 

In conclusion, the absence of gender-disaggregated energy data risks leaving ASEAN’s energy transition both unjust and incomplete. Strengthening inclusion and improving measurement are essential to empowering women, advancing equality, driving innovation, and accelerating climate action across the region. To achieve this, governments, energy companies, and development partners must decisively invest in and commit to a comprehensive gender-energy data ecosystem. Only by taking these actions can ASEAN ensure that its pursuit of sustainable, renewable, and net-zero goals is both just and inclusive.