19 hours Ago By Elyse Smith
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Energy found that women currently hold less than 30% of jobs in the energy sector.
Nationally, women make up almost half of the overall workforce. Houston is the nation's energy capital, so ABC13 Meteorologist Elyse Smith spoke to three women in the field to learn more about local representation in the industry. Amani El-Atta is a senior manager at a company that specializes in low-carbon energy.
After attaining a master's degree in engineering, her career began in the field of the South China Sea. SEE ALSO: Houston engineer creates pathway for Black girls to enter STEM-related fields and careers "I can tell from experience, back in the day, 95% of the time, I was the only woman in the job," El-Atta said. "We went from one lady or sometimes none in a job.
Now, we have more than 25. The representation of the woman in the field is just amazing." While the representation of monitories, including women, has grown over the past two decades, she tells ABC13 that there's still work to be done.
Marium Nisa switched career paths during the COVID-19 pandemic into the energy sector in 2020. She currently works in business and sales for a clean energy company in Houston. "I came into an industry, into an office that was predominantly men," Nisa said.
"And slowly, slowly, that started to change because that talent is needed to fulfill these requirements within our industry." Each of these women is part of the Women's Energy Network , WEN for short. The organization started in Houston in the 1980s after its founder, Karyl White, recognized the need for more women in energy and the opportunities for women in a male-dominated field.
SEE ALSO: Houston named one of 7 hydrogen hubs in the nation, Pres. Joe Biden says Tai Prince, the current president of the Houston chapter, tells ABC13 that the mentorship program is one of the key initiatives to the organization's success-- furthermore, the success of women seeking leadership roles in their respective companies. "It's different from your family.
It's different from your friends. It's different from your work friends. When you're when you're finishing a puzzle to give you that support, confidence, and the drive to do anything in your career," Prince said.
And the energy industry, including oil and gas and renewables, is seeing expansive growth with many opportunities. Clean energy is one of the fastest-growing industries, adding 149,000 new jobs in 2024. So, especially for young women interested in pursuing an energy career, these three women tell ABC13 that the opportunities are endless.
"I want to tell every woman that now we are not missing the qualification. We are not missing opportunities, (we are) just missing the perception of ourselves," Amani said. For more on this story, follow Elyse Smith on Facebook , X and Instagram .
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