Grassroots women and energy sovereignty

Abstract

Energy sovereignty is a political ideology which seeks to liberate communities, people and groups from the dominant fossil fuels driven energy system that is driven by the needs of capital as opposed to the needs of the people. However, the existing localised renewable energy alternatives, whilst addressing the climate change concerns and leaning towards the participation and democratisation of the energy systems, have often failed to take into consideration the needs of the peasant, working-class and indigenous women, who carry the burden of energy poverty and climate induced disasters. As a response to the absence of gender justice in the energy sovereignty debates, this essay is proposing some principles that should be taken into consideration when laying the foundations for women-driven energy transitions that seek to transform the energy sector.