Energy poverty is defined as lacking access to the affordable sustainable energy service. Geographically, it is unevenly distributed in developing and developed countries. In 2019, there were an estimated 770 million people who have no access to electricity, with approximately 95% distributed in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
In developing countries, poor women and girls living in the rural areas are significantly affected by energy poverty, because they are usually responsible for providing the primary energy for households. In developed countries, old women living alone are mostly affected by energy poverty due to the low income and high cost of energy service.
Even though energy access is an important climate change adaptation tool especially for maintaining health (i.e. access to air conditioning, information etc.), a systematic review published in 2019 found that research does not account for these effects onto vulnerable populations like women.
In developing countries
Domestic responsibilities
In developing countries, energy poverty has significant gender characteristics. Approximately 70% of the 1.3 billion population in the developing countries living in poverty are women. Women living in rural areas are usually responsible for housework, including gathering fuels and water, cooking, farming etc. Studies in India indicates that rural women provide approximately 92% of total household energy supply, and 85% of their energy for cooking is provided by the biomass from forests or fields.
Health impacts from energy consumption
Energy poverty in rural households causes the health problems of women and children. One health problem is caused by indoor air pollution from traditional stoves. Study indicated that cooking with biomass is predicted to lead to 1.5 million deaths per year by 2030. The other health risks are caused by the heavy workload of collecting fuels and exposed to malnutrition. Meanwhile, the scarcity of fuel makes them less likely to use the fuels for cooking waters, which might increase risk of water-borne diseases.
Also powering of medical equipment and stools, storage of blood and vaccines, performing of basic health procedures after dark are all possible on reliable energy supply. Unreliable energy supply prevent patient care at night especially pregnant women during delivery and those undergoing emergency caesarean section at night. All these result to 95% of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
Time poverty
Energy poverty further affects women by putting them into the situation of "time poverty", which refers to the lack of time for resting, leisure, working outsides, getting education etc. It is the consequence of spending a long time gathering the fuels to supply the domestic energy use. The forest degradation caused by climate change might exaggerate the current problem.
Participation in decision-making
Also, energy poverty and gender menifest in the area of decision making and participation within the household. Studies have shown that in the rural areas in developing countries, men usually have more power in making decisions in purchasing energy devices or new technologies. This is because men and women have different and distinct perception about energy needs.Excluding women from participating public discussion and decision-making process is likely to lead to the failure in addressing the effects of energy poverty on women.
Energy Poverty and Education
Energy poverty affects teaching and learning. Lack of access to energy reduces children performance and attendance.
Example
In sub-Saharan African countries, energy poverty is especially challenging, due to the high cost of extending grid electricity in existing scattered rural settlement. For example, in Tanzania, energy poverty is affecting the livelihood of the majority, with only 15.5% of the population has access to electricity. The lack of electricity leads to the missing of efficient energy services like cooking, lighting etc. Hence the basic capabilities for development, like education, health, transportation are restricted. In face of energy poverty, the burden of supplying household energy use disproportionately lies on women than men. A case study in Tanzania examines impact of a women-oriented solar lighting social enterprise project on health, education, livelihood and gender equality. The results indicate that increasing the accessibility to energy service for women, could contribute to empowering women, children and local families’ development.