Even though the sun is setting in the outskirts of Trongsa, a mountainous district in Central Bhutan, Plant Operations Manager Tashi Pema is still at work. She has been overseeing Nikachu Power Plant’s emergency response to some unexpected flooding. Besides making the rounds to ensure that the plant’s sensitive equipment is dry and protected from water damage and making repairs to machines, Tashi has been managing worker’s shifts to guarantee round-the-clock coverage.
Working women like Tashi stand out in South Asia, where the employment rate among women is low compared to other emerging market economies. In 2023, only 32 percent of working-age women in South Asia were in the labor force—well below the region’s male labor force participation rate of 77 percent. This gender gap represents a missed economic opportunity for South Asia. Increasing women’s labor force participation rate to match the male rate could increase regional GDP by as much as 51 percent.
A gender gap also defines the hydropower sector, where women engineers, technicians and scientists are rare. According to a World Bank report, women hold just 21% of technical hydropower roles globally. Overall, the power sector in South Asia–incluiding Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka– is just as male-dominated, with women holding between just 4 to 25 percent of all jobs in the sector.
Bhutan’s power sector is more diverse than its neighbors, with women representing 24 percent of total employees. Notably, women in Bhutan’s power sector aren’t relegated to non-technical roles. They account for close to 22 percent of technical roles, and 29 percent of managerial roles. Some are even company Directors. But there is always room to improve.
Powering Bhutan’s Economy, Creating Jobs
Infrastructure, including energy, is one of the sectors with the greatest potential to drive job creation and economic growth.
In Bhutan, the hydropower sector is central to its economy. Electricity is the single largest export commodity in Bhutan and contributes 12 to 15 percent of GDP, powering corporations, offices, businesses, schools, and homes.
The World Bank Group is supporting Bhutan as it intensifies efforts to develop its hydropower sector. The landmark Dorjilung Hydroelectric Power Project, financed by the Bank Group, is expected to boost the country’s energy production by 40 percent, expand economic opportunities and create more and better jobs. Indeed, the growing hydropower sector could be a bright spot in a job market shaped by high youth unemployment and brain drain, due to many of Bhutan’s young people and skilled professionals pursuing opportunities abroad. But this growth will need to be accompanied by the right measures and policies to ensure that women have equal access to new hydropower jobs and can reach their full economic potential.
Besides being an engine of economic growth, Bhutan’s power sector is also a source of highly sought-after Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs that pay well, offer advancement opportunities, as well as the chance to contribute to nation-building.
As the Assistant Engineer at Mangdechhu Hydropower plant, Tandin Tshomo’s desire to give back to her country was one of the main reasons she wanted to land a job in the power sector. “Growing up in Bhutan where [a] hydropower plant is such an important part of our national identity and economy, I’ve known that the energy sector has always been an impactful one. I always thought that is the sector I’d want to work in when I grow up.”
WePOWER: Opening Doors for Women to Succeed in the Power Sector
The South Asia WePOWER network, an initiative of the World Bank, helps close the gender gap so that women like Tandin can have a career and contribute to the economy.
WePOWER works with over 50 public power sector utilities across South Asia to close the gender gap by establishing programs and implementing policies that recruit and retain women, giving them a solid foothold in the power sector.
Since WePOWER’s inception in 2019, more than 235,000 South Asian women and girls—including students, young professionals, engineers and mothers returning from maternity leave—have benefited from its activities. Beyond getting exposure to STEM jobs in the energy sector, the opportunity to participate in study tours and receive additional professional training, women have been matched with internships, mentorships, and entry level STEM jobs, received long-term career support, and even risen to top management jobs.
READ MORE: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/02/27/bhutan-s-power-sector-is-increasingly-a-woman-s-world
