BEYOND INCLUSION: Advocating for a feminist understanding of energy justice

Abstract

The energy sector often reduces feminisms to the inclusion of women or instrumentalizes Women’s Day or LGBTQIA+ pride to assert its ‘feminist’ nature. This chapter argues that advocating for a feminist understanding of energy justice goes beyond inclusion and washing practices, calling for substantive, systemic change. The primary goal of this chapter is to promote a feminist understanding of energy justice in Latin America, that challenges prevailing patriarchal, colonial, and capitalist energy systems. It explores the intersection of energy, justice, and feminisms, surpassing surface-level analyses and acknowledging the shortcomings of energy justice. It introduces a feminist energy justice alternative, emphasizing transformative approaches such as life-affirming hechos y palabras, being in coalitions, embracing the imaginative, and prioritizing reciprocal care. By interweaving energy, justice, and feminisms, the chapter not only calls for transformative approaches to address inequality, oppression, and degradation across Latin America and beyond, but stresses the urgent need of amplifying the diverse voices, experiences, knowledge, and visions that reside in the region. This chapter shows the imperative of studying energy through justice and critical feminism, reaching beyond superficial discourses and into meaningful exploration and action.