This deliverable represents the outcome of task 6.1 (WP6), consisting of creating a Gender Action Plan (GAP) for
the OPTHYCS project development. The importance of including gender perspectives in this project reflects the
general European strategy of guaranteeing gender practices to fulfill our equal transition goals. A Gender Action
Plan is a document that works as a tool and mechanism for ensuring the gender-inclusive design and
implementation of practices and solutions, and to create awareness of the Gender Equality strategy guidelines
and objectives of the European Union.
The Gender Action Plan III provides the EU with a policy framework with five pillars of action for accelerating
progress towards meeting international commitments and a world in which everyone has space to thrive, such as
leading by example, measuring results, or ensuring that all new actions contribute to the gender equality of women’s empowerment.
The renewable energy sector remains one of the minor gender-diverse sectors, male-dominated, and where
women earn lower wages than men. But to speak beyond gender towards inclusion in the hydrogen sector,
we can observe that two of the four “D” objectives regarding energy transition in the world are to digitalise the
services and products and democratize access and participation in the energy markets, in addition to
decentralising systems and decarbonising production and consumption. This means that all individuals should
have the option to use renewable energy through democratisation and digitalisation. This is why our vision of a
GAP goes beyond gender. We assume, as a working principle, that the intersectionality between gender and
other variables, such as age, cultural background, religion, capabilities, or sexual preference, should be achieved
together as they construct people’s identities, and they are so closely interconnected with human rights.
The way to approach the GAP for OPTHYCS was to create an initial picture of how OPTHYCS is in terms of diversity and inclusion, and to develop later the guidelines to ensure equal participation during the project.
