Lebanon is no different regarding this issue; The prolonged regional unrest has had a direct impact on Lebanon's political, social, and economic situation. As a result, progress toward gender equality and women's empowerment has been hampered (Avis 2017). In reference to a study made on Lebanese working women concerning the constraints that they face; the findings indicate that the limits mentioned by Lebanese female executives are comparable to those found globally. The key contrasts are the highly felt prominence of cultural norms and expectations that limit women to conventional roles, as well as a more pronounced feeling of patriarchy (Jamali, Sidani, Safieddine 2005). For instance, 60% of men and 45% of women say that the most essential function of a woman is to care for her family (El Feki, Barker, & Heilman, 2017). So, what are the main causes that led to these cultural expectations for women in the first place? And how is the female talent delineated in Lebanon’s energy sector despite of the gender gap and the constraints that are in constant progression?
Predominant expectations of women’s role in society can be tracked down to the education that we spoon feed and impose on our children. I argue that the main causes that led to these cultural expectations start in our educational systems. Girls and boys grow up to the misconception of gender equality and the normalization of gender segregation across fields of study; These disparities are not caused by differences in ability, but rather by social assumptions that affect an individual's access to opportunities (Schomer & Hammond, Forthcoming - 2019). This assumption of women’s profession is reflected in the statistics of the number of girls enrolled in universities especially in the energy sector. There are 8 universities in Lebanon that offer 15 energy-related degrees as part of their four-year university diploma and graduate degrees (including Master's and PhDs). Female enrolment in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines is declining at both public and private colleges; The decline is roughly 10% in public institutions and 14% in private universities (Ahmad et al., 2019). This is not totally surprising given that recent worldwide research indicates a contradictory link between gender equality and STEM enrolment rates, with less gender-equal countries doing better than more gender-equal ones (Stoet & Geary, 2018). The reason for this is because a STEM education can provide women with ample opportunities for economic development and independence, particularly in countries where gender-based constraints limit their career options (Stoet & Geary, 2018). To support more girls into entering the energy sector starting from education, school counselors must assist students in making the right choice regarding higher education and career options (Murphy, 2016). At the pre-tertiary education level, critical interventions could include counseling programs targeting female students in secondary schools to expose them to STEM program options during their university studies as well as raise awareness of the various opportunities that they may encounter within the energy sector once they enter the workforce (Ahmad et al., 2019). Families must put an extra effort in participating in such counseling programs, especially dads and male guardians, so that they create a solid understanding of the benefits of having both men and women work in the field, and they, in turn, encourage female and male family members into normalizing gender equality (Ahmad et al., 2019). The job market is the best proof for gender inequality especially in the energy industry and it grows more pronounced as degrees of seniority in the workplace increase (Ahmad et al., 2019). While data on female employment in the industry is scant, general labor market records show that female labor force participation is just 23% compared to 71% for men, and female unemployment is 5% compared to 10% for men (World Bank, n.d.).
Despite the gender gap that we are experiencing locally and globally, female talents always find a way to glisten in all this darkness. The inequalities are visible in the lack of gender diversity in Lebanon's energy job environment which is due to a combination of institutional, structural, and normative difficulties impacting women's involvement in programs of study and engagement in the industry (Ahmad et al., 2019). However, we still witness female talents, such as Carol Ayat, that act as inspiration for many young girls. Carol Ayat is an investment banker and expert in energy financing. She is the founder and head of Bank Audi's energy financing department, whose objective is to promote private sector solutions to satisfy the Lebanese people's energy demands. Carol collaborated with the public sector and a number of foreign lenders to create Lebanon's first power purchase agreement that adhered to international bankability criteria. She is now coordinating efforts in Lebanon to get finance for solar power projects (Berytech, 2021). In addition to that Ayat wrote a paper ‘Leveraging the Banking Crisis to Crowdfund Electricity Reform in Lebanon’ that sheds the light on innovative strategies that incorporates a new funding model to finance electricity reform investments in production, transmission, and distribution (Blog Baladi). Carol Ayat is one example of many successful women, however, gender inequality is still persistent and it will always be until we, as a society, experience a paradigm shift.
References
Ahmad, A., Kantarjian, L., El Ghali, H., Maier, E., & Constant, S. (2019). Shedding light on female talent in Lebanon’s energy sector. https://doi.org/10.1596/31608
Carol Ayat. Berytech. (2021, January 28). Retrieved October 28, 2021, from https://berytech.org/profiles/carol-ayat/.
El Feki, S., Barker, G., & Heilman, B. (2017). Understanding masculinities, results from the International Men and Gender Equality Study in the Middle East and North Africa. Cairo and Washington, D.C.: UN Women and Promundo-US. Retrieved from http://www.unwomen.org//media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2017/ images-mena-multi-country-report-en.pdf?la=en&vs=3602
IRENA. (2018). Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review 2018. Retrieved from https://irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/ Agency/Publication/2018/May/IRENA_RE_Jobs_Annual_Review_2018.pdf
Jamali, D., Sidani, Y. and Safieddine, A. (2005), "Constraints facing working women in Lebanon: an insider view", Women in Management Review, Vol. 20 No. 8, pp. 581- 594. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420510635213
Murphy, J. (2016, September). The Undervaluing of School Counselors. The Atlantic. Retrieved fromhttps://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/09/the-neglected-link-in-the-high-school-to-college-pipeline/500213/
Must-read: Carol Ayat's end-to-end solution to the energy crisis in Lebanon. Blog Baladi. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2021, from https://blogbaladi.com/must-read-carolayats-end-to-end-solution-to-the-energy-crisis-in-lebanon/.
Schomer, I., & Hammond, A. (Forthcoming - 2019). Women in STEM: Promoting Women’s Employment in Infrastructure Sectors. World Bank Group.
Stoet, G., & Geary, D. (2018, February). The Gender-Equality Paradox in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education. 29(4), pp. 581-593. doi:10.1177/0956797617741719
William R. Avis. 2017. “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Lebanon,” Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development
World Bank. (2008). Lebanon: Electricity Sector Public Expenditure Review. Wahington DC: World Bank Group. Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTMNAREGTOPENERGY/Resources/Lebanon ElectricityPER.pdf