Gender-Just Energy Communities: A Catalyst for Sustainable and Just Development

This chapter is based on a literature review of relevant information on the origin, organization, type, role and main characteristics of energy communities (EC) in Europe. The analysis of the literature shows the scope of energy communities in different regions in Europe, including Turkey and Uganda. Gender dimensions are described and applied to address gender-equitable energy policy and supply. The gender dimensions used in the analysis are productive work, reproductive work, power and decision-making power, public resources and infrastructure, body and health as well as institutionalized androcentrism, respectively. Good practices of energy communities in Spain, Turkey, Germany and Uganda are included to show the relevance of the gender dimensions and the realities of women in European ECs. It is shown that ECs (in most cases) do not meet the egalitarian claim to enable open participation and membership for all parts of society. Recommendations for policy and energy actors are developed to ensure gender mainstreaming across energy policies, directives and practices to engender the energy transition. This allows energy communities to become a feasible and viable alternative to capitalist individualism and isolation, and the incorporation of a gender perspective in community actions and strategies has transformative potential and can open a space for a new debate on an inclusive and economically and socially sustainable development model.