Energy, gender and justice: studies highlight the importance of Revolusolar’s actions for equity

On International Women’s Day, we highlight the importance of the energy transition and training opportunities for low-income Black women.

Low-income Black women pay up to eight times more for electricity consumption than high-income white men, proportionally speaking, according to the study “Energy and Intersectionality: The Impact of Electricity Tariffs on the Budgets of Brazilian Families,” conducted by the Institute for Socioeconomic Studies (Inesc).

International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, reminds us that the energy transition is not only a technological shift, but above all a social one. When we look closely at the data, we realize that the current model of Brazil’s electricity sector reinforces historic inequalities related to race, gender, and income.

The Inesc study analyzed the impact of electricity tariffs, especially during red flag tariff periods, on different profiles of Brazilian families, considering the income, gender, and race of the person responsible for the household. During red flag periods, families headed by Black women allocate around 13% of their monthly income just to pay their electricity bill.

Those with less pay more

The study shows that low-income Black women have an average per capita income of around R$309, and even so allocate, on average, 11.57% of their total income to electricity.

Even with lower absolute energy consumption, the most vulnerable families pay proportionally more. This means that the lower the income, the greater the weight of energy costs in the household budget, and this inequality becomes even deeper when intersected with race and gender.

Historically, women are responsible for most family care and household tasks, often facing a double workload while also assuming greater responsibility for managing household energy use. Families headed by low-income Black women frequently: live in territories with precarious infrastructure; have less access to credit; are unable to invest in energy efficiency technologies that would reduce their electricity bills; and must choose between paying for energy and covering other basic needs. This is what we call energy injustice.

If conventional electricity weighs more heavily on those with the lowest incomes, then the energy transition must be designed as an instrument of redistribution and equity. Solar energy, when implemented in a community-based and inclusive way, can: reduce energy costs for vulnerable families; democratize access to distributed generation; create training and job opportunities for women and youth from underserved communities; and promote energy autonomy within local territories.

Given this scenario, the Inesc study does not speak only about tariffs; it invites us to think about who occupies spaces of decision-making and innovation in the energy sector. If low-income Black women are the most impacted by the tariff structure, they must also be at the center of the solutions: in technical training in solar energy; in the management of community projects; in the formulation of public policies; and in the leadership of cooperatives and local initiatives.

What are we doing to change this scenario?

Community initiatives have shown that it is possible to build more inclusive pathways for the energy transition. At Revolusolar, for example, 50% of the spots in training courses are reserved for women. Currently, they represent 29.2% of the people trained by the organization, almost double the international average in the energy sector, which is 15%, according to the World Energy Employment 2023 report.

Revolusolar’s methodology seeks to strengthen women’s leadership within the very territories where solar systems are installed. By training women from these communities in the installation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems, the initiative promotes technical autonomy, income generation, and active participation in building local energy solutions.

More than installing solar panels, the proposal is to build a just, inclusive, and people-centered energy transition, in which women, especially those historically excluded from opportunities in the sector, can occupy a central role in transforming the energy system.

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