Climate change threatens to exacerbate poverty. Some of the most dire estimates indicate that by mid-century, 158 million more women and girls could be pushed into poverty – 16 million more than the number of men and boys. To help address the climate crisis, and to increase diverse employment opportunities for women, UNDP India has partnered with the Skill Council for Green Jobs.
Green skills can help youths build careers in sectors like sustainable manufacturing, renewable energy and nature-based livelihoods. Rolled out across five states, the programme has trained 1,000 young people on modules covering four emerging roles in the renewable energy sector, like electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal industries.
To overcome the barriers that prevent women from accessing training and employment opportunities, the Skill Council offered an incentive of INR 2,500 (US$30) to each woman who participated in the training. After a 45-day programme, 23-year-old Tridha Tripathi, accepted a job as a solar PV installer at Saitech Energy Space Systems, a company that specializes in installing commercial and residential solar power plants in Madhya Pradesh.