In 2019-2020, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) completed its Employment Assessment of Renewable Energy Targets under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NEAR-NDC) Project. In exploring further linkages between job creation and co-benefits in the RE sector, the NEAR-NDC project sought to understand how existing data on the labor composition of the sector could be used to project women’s participation in the new labor force and the related potential benefits.

This discussion paper introduces a series of elements identified in the NEARNDC research process. It covers the current status of women’s participation in the energy sector, the focus on assessing women’s participation in two countries of analysis, Mexico and Rwanda, and lessons learned that could inform future labor projection models and the assessment of co-benefits.