Coal regions have been dominated by the classic image of men as the breadwinners of the household who work in coal jobs and women who take care of the unpaid care work. While the coal phase-out means a radical change for the traditional way of working, it also brings intra-family and identy tensions to the family structure by threatening the inherent traditional masculinity within the family members’ identity. However, up till now, the design of a just transition has focused very much on replacing jobs occupied by men. As women from these regions tend to remain as silent actors, what their demands are and how they can actively shape this structural change are rarely the focus of the debate in regional parliaments.
On the other hand, many examples of alliances of active female leaders have arisen all across the world in the past years. From environmental groups who fight against mining methods that are harmful to people and the environment, to alliances that want their voices to be heard, women are advocating for a structural change to be thought of in a more holistic way: It is not just about the transition for industrial jobs, but restructuring regions’ economies to provide well-paid jobs for all with strong social and cultural infrastructure.
This is the sixth online event of our CINTRAN capacity-building programme aimed at practitioners and everyone interested in learning more about the just energy transition in coal+ regions across Europe. Within this interactive webinar, you will learn about various gender-specific problems related to the transformations in energy regions. Thereafter, experts from Upper Silesia (Poland and Czech Republic) and Colombia will bring an eco-feminist perspective and concrete examples from their regions. Finally, panellists will reflect on the previous presentations by showcasing insights from the 4 CINTRAN and other regions in Europe to help us achieve a just transition out of coal for everyone.
Speakers include:
- Katarzyna Iwińska – Collegium Civitas; Editor of Gender and Energy Transition: Case Studies from the Upper Silesia Coal-mining Region
- Óscar Vargas – Red de Iniciativas Comunitarias, Colombia
- Paula Walk – Europa-Universität Flensburg – COAL Exit Group
- Eeva Kesküla – Tallin University