Every year, as Women’s History Month rolls around, many of us take time to reflect on those who have inspired, supported and helped us advance in our careers. Sharing those stories and tributes is important on many fronts. Recognizing the achievements, offering thanks and celebrating the successes of women who have paved the way helps to create powerful role models that can inspire our own professional aspirations, while also encouraging each of us to pay forward our own success by offering that support to others who identify as women.

It’s an important mission, and one that underpins AESP’s Women in Energy (WiE) group. Formed in 2023, we aim to promote and empower those in our industry through three key focus areas:

• Careers: develop virtual programs that support members’ professional and career development.
• Content: create content that educates our membership, elevates female-identifying voices and recognizes the achievements of women in our field.
• Community: cultivate an engaged community through networking, events and content that supports and guides members in their advancement.

Thanks to the efforts of past co-chairs and volunteers, these efforts have created a vibrant, dynamic community of professionals who come together at national conferences and engaging webinars to discuss topics including career advancement, work-life balance, diversity, equity and inclusion, and leading topics of interest in the energy field.

Given the current state of the industry, one may find that our mission has never been more important.

Numerous studies have documented inequity in the workplace, but none as comprehensively as the annual Women in the Workplace (WiW) report, a 10-plus year collaboration between research powerhouse McKinsey and LeanIn.org. The study covers the experience of women* and the progress, decline and stagnation in women’s representation and experiences in the workplace over the last decade. It is the largest annual study of women in corporate America, and the 10th anniversary edition shares some sobering findings around recruitment, advancement and attrition.

* Please note: the WiW report uses the term women to refer to cisgender and transgender women.

The 10th annual Women in the Workplace study found that while some progress had been made in recent years, women remain underrepresented across all levels on the corporate ladder, from entry-level to the C-suite. The study found that in general, women are less likely than men to be hired into entry-level roles, leaving them underrepresented from the start.

Source: WiW Report, 2024

From there on, women are less likely than men to attain their very first promotion to a manager role, leading to widening gaps at higher levels of promotion which are not improving over time.

Consider this: For every 100 men promoted to manager in 2019, 79 women were promoted. In 2024, that number rose to just 81. And this disparity is more pronounced among Black and Latina women. In fact, after notable gains, Black women’s promotion rates in 2024 regressed to 2020 levels, and Latina women’s dropped to their lowest levels.

Source: WiW Report, 2024

The report also found that companies have scaled back their efforts to recruit and advance women, and that women report lower incidence of manager support and mentorship to fuel their advancement.

Source: WiW Report, 2024

The study took a look at different industries, finding distinct challenges within each. In the Energy & Utilities sector, for instance, women are most heavily represented in entry-level roles, dropping to lower levels of representation at higher levels of achievement.

Source: WiW Report, 2024

Attrition is also cause for concern. For every one woman director getting promoted to the next level, two women directors are leaving their current jobs. What is driving this exodus? The Women in the Workplace study finds that despite an increase in DEI programs designed to create safe, equitable environments, women’s experience in the workplace had stayed the same or deteriorated since the study was initially fielded. And across all metrics, BIPOC women, transgender women and women with disabilities suffer the most pronounced negative impact.

How do we find ourselves in this place in 2026? McKinsey says that companies are setting the right priorities, but they are not translating into action. Further, they posit that trying to engage employees as agents of change is not a viable solution, stating that “…the increase in training programs does not appear to be translating into greater awareness or action.”

As a result, according to the authors, “the culture of work appears to be stuck.”

WiE aims to support our members in overcoming workplace and career advancement challenges by:

• Offering live and virtual programs that build knowledge and skills to advance careers.
• Presenting compelling content that educates our membership and celebrates the successes of women in our field.
• Offering meaningful networking, mentoring and support services to our members.
• Making our annual events accessible through the Marie Abdou Scholarship.

Over the coming year, WiE will be focused on continuing to support our members’ career journeys, rolling out new programs and initiatives and dialing up efforts to host more live events in regions across our member territories.

The challenges facing women’s equity in the workforce are many and complicated. But there are things that each of us can do individually and collectively to be a part of the solution:

• Be a mentor: share the benefit of all you’ve learned on your own path to help fuel the journey of others.
• Elevate underrepresented voices: make a conscious effort to recognize and learn from diverse perspectives and share those learnings with others.
• Cultivate networks: There is nothing as powerful as a community of women supporting each other. Connect, communicate and collaborate with other women to ensure we all have a seat at the table.
• Celebrate successes: As former President Barack Obama said, “When one of us falters, we all falter. When one of us rises, we all rise,” Acknowledge the wins of other women and elevate their example as role models for others.
• Above all, join us! WiE welcomes everyone who aims to support women’s advancement in the energy sector.

2026 is poised to be an exciting year of programming and networking to support our members. We hope to see you at upcoming events.