It is a fact that more than 20 million women live below the poverty line index in the EU as compared to men. Due to this, women are at a higher risk of experiencing energy poverty, which means they do not have access to affordable energy resources. The European Commission has stated that energy poverty is a widespread issue across Europe, affecting between 50 and 125 million people who cannot afford proper indoor thermal comfort.
Members of the European Parliament have adopted a report calling on the European Commission and member states to take urgent action to address poverty and inequality, particularly among vulnerable groups, and to promote a socially fair transition to a green economy.
The report stresses that access to energy should be considered a fundamental right and calls on member states to ensure affordable utilities and food for low-income households. It also urges member states to ban energy disconnections.
The report highlights that many women live in insecure and unsafe housing conditions and are at increased risk of homelessness and violence. It calls on the Commission to propose new rules to mitigate housing commodification and prevent speculators from driving up housing prices.
The report also notes that the energy sector is one of the most gender-imbalanced industries in the EU, with women making up only 24% of the workforce. MEPs call on energy companies to eradicate discrimination and to promote gender equality in the sector.
Finally, the report calls for a gender-transformative, intersectional strategy to address energy poverty and for increased investment in social, affordable, and energy-efficient housing, taking into account the specific needs of women.
Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA, Sweden), lead MEP steering this report through Parliament, said: “We know that energy poverty has a female face. Across the continent, millions of EU citizens are struggling to make ends meet and are forced to choose between “heating or eating”. We need the European Commission to walk the talk and deliver on its promise to leave no one behind in the green transition. That must also mean leaving no woman behind.”
