Energy Policy Through a Gender Lens: The Impact of Wind Power Feed-In Tariff Policy on Female Employment

Abstract

In light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 13 (Climate Action), integrating gender dimensions into climate adaptation strategies can foster more inclusive and equitable development pathways. While China’s rapid expansion of wind power has been a central component of its climate action strategy, gender considerations in energy policies remain largely overlooked. This study utilizes data from 31 provinces from 2008 to 2021 to assess the impact of wind power Feed-in tariff (FIT) adjustment policy in 2014 on female employment in China. A difference-in-differences (DID) approach is employed using a continuous treatment variable. Due to data availability, we focus on urban unit employment, which reflects mainly formal employment. The results show that FIT subsidy reduction in 2014 substantially reduced female employment at the 1% level, while men were not impacted. The underlying mechanism is validated by observing a significant decline in overall wages and that only female employment in the service sector was notably affected. Wage reduction likely leads to a decrease in demand for service-oriented products, a sector where women dominate, thus amplifying the gendered impact. By providing empirical evidence and theoretical insights, this study highlights the gendered effects of energy policy as part of climate change mitigation efforts and underscores the need to align Goal 5 with Goal 13 through more inclusive and gender-sensitive energy policy design.