Women leading just energy transitions: Comparative insights from Eastern Greater Poland and German Lusatia

Women constitute an essential yet underexplored pillar of a just energy transition, particularly through their contributions to social, educational, and cultural domains that mitigate depopulation, economic stagnation, and territorial abandonment in coal regions. This comparative study investigates women's multifaceted roles in advancing a just transition in two lignite-dependent regions, namely Eastern Greater Poland (Poland) and Lusatia (Germany), while also examining the opportunities and barriers they encounter. Grounded in feminist ecological economics and feminist political ecology, the analysis addresses two core questions: (1) What roles do women assume in the energy transition? and (2) What benefits can they derive from it? Drawing on 50 semi-structured interviews (2023–2025) and field observations in both regions, the study highlights women's leadership in advocacy, industry representation, grassroots mobilization, and often-overlooked administrative functions. The findings identify women as pivotal agents of change: in Poland, they secured Just Transition Fund resources and co-developed the ‘Job After Coal’ programme, supporting 2200 individuals, including miners' families; in Lusatia, women's networks advance socio-ecological demands amid right-wing resistance. By providing empirical evidence of women's leadership in European coal regions, thus addressing a gap identified in a literature review, this study enriches understanding of gender dynamics in energy transitions. • Women lead just energy transition in Konin and Lusatia via advocacy, policy, and grassroots. • Key roles of women: securing EU funds, admin work, community projects against depopulation. • ‘Job After Coal’ aids 2200, incl. women/families, via retraining and entrepreneurship. • Challenges: burnout, right-wing opposition, barriers to high-tech jobs for women. • Need gender-sensitive policies for inclusive green jobs and sustainable outcomes.