Energy justice and gender: bridging equity, access, and policy for sustainable development

Clean energy transitions are not just about technology. They are also about people, equity, and justice. Women play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable energy solutions, yet sociocultural, financial, and institutional barriers continue to limit their participation in decision-making and access to clean energy. This research combines BERTopic modeling, SDG mapping, and case study analysis to bridge quantitative insights with real-world narratives, offering a comprehensive examination of the gender‒energy nexus. Grounded in energy justice, gender empowerment, and SDG frameworks, the study applies Kabeer’s and Friedmann’s empowerment models to link agency, resources, and achievements with distributional, procedural, and recognitional justice in energy transitions. The study covered 616 publications identified through an extensive Scopus database search, spanning literature from 2015—coinciding with the adoption of SDGs—to 2024, specifically mapped to SDG 5 (gender) and SDG 7 (energy). Addressing the main energy justice dimensions and relevant SDGs, the findings of this systematic review reveal that clean energy adoption reduces unpaid domestic work (SDG 5.4), enhances women’s leadership (SDG 5.5), and strengthens economic opportunities (SDG 7.1, SDG 7.2) but remains constrained by gendered power dynamics, technology adaptation barriers, and financial accessibility issues. The study highlights how women’s participation in energy transitions leads to greater community engagement, increased household energy efficiency, and a shift toward sustainable energy behaviors. However, moderating factors of gender empowerment interventions show that intrahousehold bargaining, a lack of financial incentives, and limited representation in governance structures continue to restrict equitable energy access. Additionally, the findings emphasize that policies designed without a gender lens risk reinforcing existing inequalities rather than alleviating them. By embedding SDG goals in the analysis, this study ensures alignment with global sustainability goals and reinforces the urgency of justice-oriented energy policies. Advocating for inclusive, community-driven approaches, this research underscores the need for intersectional frameworks that integrate energy justice and gender empowerment, ensuring that energy transitions are not only technologically sound but also socially equitable and accessible to all.