IEA UsersTCP Empowering all: Gender in policy and implementation for achieving transitions to sustainable energy (Working period 2022-2024)

The Gender & Energy Task aims to provide scientific evidence on how to implement and contribute to sustainable, effective, gender-responsive, and inclusive energy policies and interventions.

The Task is divided into three Subtasks with the following objectives:

• Subtask 1: Cross-regional learning: Preparing country-specific studies and best practices on gender & energy.
• Subtask 2: Barriers to gender-responsive policies and actions: Developing an assessment tool to compare country-specific energy policies in terms of gender awareness.
• Subtask 3: Gender-responsive and effective technological interventions: Designing and elaborating on case studies and tools for inclusive implementation.

The Austrian contribution aims to support international efforts, work on the Austrian context and issues and make the global research results accessible for national implementation. Within the framework of this follow-up project, the Austrian contribution will carry out work on Subtask 1 and Subtask 3 and communicate the research results of the entire Task.

For this purpose, this extended project will:

• develop a for recording gender aspects in energy use in cooperation with the Swedish Task-lead. The goal is to create and test a survey instrument to better understand gender aspects in energy use. The focus is on hard-to-reach energy users, especially vulnerable groups (e.g., elderly single women with a migration background, isolated communities, people with chronic diseases, people who do care work for children or sick people). The Chalmers University of Technology has already done preliminary research on this as part of the "OECD EPIC Household Survey". The elaborated survey instrument is to become a prototype for recording gender aspects in energy use with regional specifics (Austria, Sweden).
• prepare a factsheet on inclusive smart grids (meter) technology development in collaboration with one of the Dutch subtask partners – Duneworks. Duneworks has already researched the use of dashboards in the context of daily household needs. They conducted focus groups with women (of different ages, educational levels, family situations, etc.) in Dutch smart grid demonstration regions. With two more focus groups in Austria, the Dutch research results will be extended and translated into specific guidelines for inclusive smart grid technology development.
• organize a result-oriented conference in January 2024. The goal is to communicate all the research results developed in the Task with the interested stakeholders. The main target groups are participants from other IEA technology projects, technology developers, researchers, and administrative and funding bodies.

To disseminate information about the topic and the results, targeted contributions are planned at major events in the energy sector and cooperating networks and initiatives (e.g., Mission Innovation Austria Week, Highlights of Energy Research, etc.). Dissemination will also occur, targeting a wider audience via social media channels, topic-relevant initiatives, and interest groups.

Austria, Australia, Ireland, Sweden (Operating Agent), The Netherlands, UK, US

Project leader

Beatrix Hausner
ÖGUT
beatrix.hausner@oegut.at

Project team member

Azadeh Badieijaryani
ÖGUT
azadeh.badieijaryani@oegut.at