The largest growth potential for Green Jobs lies undoubtedly in the construction industry and in the sector of renewable energies. But do women equally profit from the job potential of a green transformation? So far No, is the clear answer of Dr. Mara Kuhl, advisor of public administrative bodies and political institutions on gender mainstreaming from Berlin. Out of 26 employment sectors with a high green growth potential, only three are dominated by women: health, social sciences and the service sector. In three sectors women and men are equally represented, whereas 20 areas of work are clearly dominated by men, including for example technical and engineering professions, merchants, manufacturers and architects.

Discriminative methods in recruitment processes, stereotypes as well as the lack of women in leading positions hinder women from entering these sectors and make a career in these areas difficult. In Germany for example, the unemployment rate of female engineers is twice as high as that of male engineers, reported Dr. Mara Kuhl. It is important that the gender dimension of workers rights is strengthened and better represented by trade unions. Male dominated sectors need to open up and change their working culture to become more attractive for women and men alike. If we want to promote the representation of women in green sectors, it is of utmost importance to cooperate and learn from each other: Lisa Rustico, Italian coordinator of the EU-funded partnership project WIRES (Women in Renewable Energy Sector) and Adapt, an association for comparable studies regarding workers rights, illustrated how in the framework of WIRES a Bulgarian association, a Law University from Hungary and an Italian trade union work together to foster the participation of women in the renewable energies. The project for example provides the opportunity for a common analysis of the effects of the agenda 2020 on the employment rate of women. The Green New Deal should initiate a change: the lack of women in the energy sector and especially in renewables is, according to Lisa Rustico, still mainly due to a lack of the necessary qualifications amongst women, which rarely opt for technical studies.

The term Green Jobs not only refers to renewable energies, but encompasses a wide range of occupations, that promote sustainable development, and as stated before, one of the largest growth sectors will be the construction sector - a sector which in all EU member states is on of the most male dominated occupational sector. With her own building company and the association D.A.M.E.S. which she founded, Leila Ouadah tries to break the male dominance in the construction sector in France. After having worked in the sector herself for over 20 years, Leila decided to put her economic and social energy to promoting a gender equal distribution of chances in this area of work. Her objective is the integration and promotion of women in the construction sector, helping women to enter the sector and providing targeted professionalisation courses. In France only 1,3% of women opt for a formation or work in this area of work. Leila Ouadah wants to show that also the building sector can be a fascinating and inspiring area of work for women. Towards the end of the conference, Leila called upon the solidarity amongst women, to help each other in the attempt to rise in male- dominated hierarchies.