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Research Project 1: Exploring factors that enhance and restrict women’s empowerment through electrification.

  • Project Description
  • Partners
  • Outputs
  • The overall objective of this independent research project is to examine how government policy and practice can enhance women’s empowerment. This project will examine the gender dimension of emerging electricity systems in East Africa and South Asia and their social effects. Empirical material will be collected in rural Kenya, India and Nepal, where large proportions of the populations lack access to electricity.

    Entrepreneur operating solar charging station in a village in Assam, northeastern district of India (Photo: Lighting a Billion Lives)
    Entrepreneur operating solar charging station in a village in Assam, northeastern district of India (Photo: Lighting a Billion Lives)

    In this area, research will focus on the impact of electricity access on girls and women and the involvement of women in the electricity supply chain. Further, it is important to understand the relationship between women’s empowerment and different types of access, and how empowerment in the electrification field can be measured.

    In addition to field studies, desk research will focus on a policy review of how gender elements are integrated into electricity policies and practices. Second, a study of the general literature will examine the impact of electrification on women’s empowerment and the effect on girls and boys in terms of study and school enrollment.

    The study will provide insights into how women’s opportunities and empowerment are affected by:

    • the choice and design of the technological system (grid vs. decentralised)
    • ownership and management of the system
    • the process of electrification
    • socio-cultural factors such as gender ideologies and poverty
    • policy, regulations and financing schemes

    The long-term impact of this research will be through contributing to increasing the opportunities for, and strengthening the empowerment of, women and girls in the context of electricity.

    More information at http://www.efewee.org/

     

     

  • University of Oslo (UiO), Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), Norway

           with

    The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), India

    Seacrester Consulting, Kenya

    Dunamai Energy, Malawi

    Collaborating partner:  Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Nepal

     

    Contact: http://www.efewee.org/contact.php

  • Women’s empowerment and electricity access

    University of Oslo, TERI, Seacrester Consulting; Dunamai Energy

    Women’s empowerment and electricity access Miscellaneous

    2019.

    Links | BibTeX

    @misc{ofOslo2019,
    title = {Women’s empowerment and electricity access },
    author = {University of Oslo, TERI, Seacrester Consulting and Dunamai Energy},
    url = {https://www.energia.org/cm2/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RA1-Womens-empowerment-and-electricity-access.pdf},
    year = {2019},
    date = {2019-01-07},
    keywords = {},
    pubstate = {published},
    tppubtype = {misc}
    }

    Close

    • https://www.energia.org/cm2/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RA1-Womens-empowerment-an[...]

    Close

    Solar powered electricity access: Implications for women’s empowerment in rural Kenya

    T.Winther, K. Ulsrud; A. Saini

    Solar powered electricity access: Implications for women’s empowerment in rural Kenya Journal Article

    2018.

    Links | BibTeX

    @article{T.Winther2018,
    title = {Solar powered electricity access: Implications for women’s empowerment in rural Kenya},
    author = {T.Winther, K. Ulsrud and A. Saini},
    url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618303694},
    year = {2018},
    date = {2018-05-14},
    keywords = {},
    pubstate = {published},
    tppubtype = {article}
    }

    Close

    • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618303694

    Close

    Women’s empowerment through electricity access: scoping study and proposal for a framework of analysis

    Tanja Winther, Margaret N. Matinga, Kirsten Ulsrud, Karina Standal

    Women’s empowerment through electricity access: scoping study and proposal for a framework of analysis Journal Article

    2017.

    Abstract | Links | BibTeX

    @article{Winther2017,
    title = {Women’s empowerment through electricity access: scoping study and proposal for a framework of analysis},
    author = {Tanja Winther, Margaret N. Matinga, Kirsten Ulsrud, Karina Standal},
    url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19439342.2017.1343368},
    year = {2017},
    date = {2017-07-26},
    abstract = {This article reviews the empirical literature on women’s empowerment through electricity access and the methodologies that have been used. Statistical studies have looked at areas with access to the grid and measured the impact on welfare indicators and employment. Qualitatively oriented studies have looked at various types of supply and studied how electricity access in a given context has influenced women and men in everyday life, sometimes focusing on the role of the design of the systems of supply and the process of electrification. The overall results show that electricity access benefits the welfare of women as well as men, but that the impact on gender relations remains largely unclear. With the ambition to better understand the gendered nature – and impacts – of various types of electricity access, we develop a framework for analysing women’s empowerment through electricity and subsequently illustrate its applications by drawing on the reviewed empirical literature.},
    keywords = {},
    pubstate = {published},
    tppubtype = {article}
    }

    Close

    This article reviews the empirical literature on women’s empowerment through electricity access and the methodologies that have been used. Statistical studies have looked at areas with access to the grid and measured the impact on welfare indicators and employment. Qualitatively oriented studies have looked at various types of supply and studied how electricity access in a given context has influenced women and men in everyday life, sometimes focusing on the role of the design of the systems of supply and the process of electrification. The overall results show that electricity access benefits the welfare of women as well as men, but that the impact on gender relations remains largely unclear. With the ambition to better understand the gendered nature – and impacts – of various types of electricity access, we develop a framework for analysing women’s empowerment through electricity and subsequently illustrate its applications by drawing on the reviewed empirical literature.

    Close

    • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19439342.2017.1343368

    Close

    Women’s empowerment in energy projects: What is the meaning?

    Tanja Winther

    Women’s empowerment in energy projects: What is the meaning? Presentation

    23.11.2016.

    Links | BibTeX

    @misc{Winther2016b,
    title = {Women’s empowerment in energy projects: What is the meaning?},
    author = {Tanja Winther},
    url = {https://www.energia.org/cm2/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Twente_Winther_24Nov2016.pdf},
    year = {2016},
    date = {2016-11-23},
    keywords = {},
    pubstate = {published},
    tppubtype = {presentation}
    }

    Close

    • https://www.energia.org/cm2/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Twente_Winther_24Nov2016.[...]

    Close

    Exploring Factors that Enhance and restrict Women’s Empowerment through Electrification (EFEWEE) - Scoping study report

    Tanja Winther, Debajit Palit, Mini Govindan, Magi Matinga, Karina Standal, Kirsten Ulsrud, Anjali Saini, Henry Gichungi

    Exploring Factors that Enhance and restrict Women’s Empowerment through Electrification (EFEWEE) - Scoping study report Miscellaneous

    2016.

    Abstract | Links | BibTeX

    @misc{Winther2016,
    title = {Exploring Factors that Enhance and restrict Women’s Empowerment through Electrification (EFEWEE) - Scoping study report },
    author = {Tanja Winther, Debajit Palit, Mini Govindan, Magi Matinga, Karina Standal, Kirsten Ulsrud, Anjali Saini, Henry Gichungi},
    url = {https://www.energia.org/cm2/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/RA1-Scoping-Report.pdf},
    year = {2016},
    date = {2016-03-30},
    abstract = {The overall objective of this independent research project is to examine how policy and practice may enhance women’s empowerment though electrification in rural areas in the South. We consider women’s empowerment as a process towards gender equality, hence a concept that requires analytic attention to women, men, girls and boys. We divide the work into four sub-tasks which focus on i) the impact of electricity access on women and girls, ii) the impact of women’s involvement in supply, iii) the relationship between women’s empowerment and different types of access (grid vs decentralised systems) and iv) how empowerment in the realm of electrification may be conceptualised and measured. The results gained from each of these sub-tasks will be used to provide policy recommendations. Empirical material will be collected in rural Kenya, India and Nepal where a large share of the population lacks access to electricity.

    The scoping study comprises a desk study of policies and the general literature on gender and electricity, and outlines the methodology to be used in the subsequent empirical research. The desk study is divided into two parts; the first consists of a policy review of how gender elements are integrated into electricity policies and practices, focusing primarily on the selected countries for empirical research, Kenya, India and Nepal, and also on the role of international actors and discourses. The second part reviews the general literature on the impact of electrification on women’s empowerment and develops a framework for measuring empowerment in this realm. We also account for electricity’s effect on girls and boys in terms of study time and school enrolment.},
    keywords = {},
    pubstate = {published},
    tppubtype = {misc}
    }

    Close

    The overall objective of this independent research project is to examine how policy and practice may enhance women’s empowerment though electrification in rural areas in the South. We consider women’s empowerment as a process towards gender equality, hence a concept that requires analytic attention to women, men, girls and boys. We divide the work into four sub-tasks which focus on i) the impact of electricity access on women and girls, ii) the impact of women’s involvement in supply, iii) the relationship between women’s empowerment and different types of access (grid vs decentralised systems) and iv) how empowerment in the realm of electrification may be conceptualised and measured. The results gained from each of these sub-tasks will be used to provide policy recommendations. Empirical material will be collected in rural Kenya, India and Nepal where a large share of the population lacks access to electricity.

    The scoping study comprises a desk study of policies and the general literature on gender and electricity, and outlines the methodology to be used in the subsequent empirical research. The desk study is divided into two parts; the first consists of a policy review of how gender elements are integrated into electricity policies and practices, focusing primarily on the selected countries for empirical research, Kenya, India and Nepal, and also on the role of international actors and discourses. The second part reviews the general literature on the impact of electrification on women’s empowerment and develops a framework for measuring empowerment in this realm. We also account for electricity’s effect on girls and boys in terms of study time and school enrolment.

    Close

    • https://www.energia.org/cm2/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/RA1-Scoping-Report.pdf

    Close

    Blogs and articles

    A glaring omission in India’s energy policy: gender justice
    Blogpost on www.medium.com

    Electrification has a gender impact
    Blogpost onwww.sum.uio.no

    Why we need to measure how electricity empowers women
    Blogpost on www.dailyo.in

    Strangely little is known about electricity’s gendered impact!
    Blogpost on www.efewee.org

    Is small beautiful?
    Blogpost on www.efewee.org

    Why we need to measure how electricity empowers women
    Article in Daily O

    Women’s empowerment in energy projects: What is the meaning?
    Presentation given by Dr. Tanja Winther in November 2016

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