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Electrification and Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women in India

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  • Ashish Kumar Sedai, Rabindra Nepal, and Tooraj Jamasb

Abstract

This study moves beyond the consensus of counting electrified households as a measure of progress in gender energy parity. Using the India Human Development Survey, we examine the effect of reliability of electrification on empowerment of women in terms of economic autonomy, agency, mobility and decision-making abilities, underscoring the labor market and respite effects of service reliability. We develop a comprehensive set of empowerment indices using principal component analysis and assess the causal effects of power outages on the indices with instrumental variable regressions while controlling for individual, household, district and caste characteristics. Results show that reliability of electricity has significant positive effects on all empowerment indices and improves women's labor market outcomes, however, the effects differ at the margin of deficiency, location, living standards and education. The study recommends policy focus on electrification from a gendered lens for cost-effective solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashish Kumar Sedai, Rabindra Nepal, and Tooraj Jamasb, 2022. "Electrification and Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women in India," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    • Handle: RePEc:aen:journl:ej43-2-jamasb
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    Cited by:

    1. Shreya Biswas & Upasak Das & Prasenjit Sarkhel, 2024. "Duration of exposure to inheritance law in India: Examining the heterogeneous effects on empowerment," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 777-799, May.
    2. Sedai, Ashish Kumar & Jamasb, Tooraj & Nepal, Rabindra & Miller, Ray, 2021. "Electrification and welfare for the marginalized: Evidence from India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Aweke, Abinet Tilahun & Navrud, Ståle, 2022. "Valuing energy poverty costs: Household welfare loss from electricity blackouts in developing countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Curuk, Malik & Rozendaal, Rik & Wendler, Tobias, 2025. "Gender differences in the employment effects of climate policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    5. Kassim Dogawa & Abbévi Georges Abbey, 2025. "Effect Of Access To Electricity On Household Income In Togo [Effet De L'Acces A L'Electricite Sur Le Revenu Des Menages Au Togo]," Post-Print hal-05134981, HAL.
    6. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Zou, Jinyang, 2024. "Impacts of the energy transition on public health in the context of country risk: From an international perspective," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 873-895.
    7. Amin, Sakib Bin & Chowdhury, Mainul Islam & Jamasb, Tooraj & Khan, Farhan & Nepal, Rabindra, 2023. "Green Energy Finance and Gender Disparity: The Case of Mountain Areas in Bangladesh," Working Papers 2-2023, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics.
    8. Abdulla, Eman & Lim, King Yoong & Morris, Diego & Saliba, Faten, 2025. "Climate change and innovation: Exploring the mediating role of gender equality at the firm level," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    9. Mang-Benza, Carelle & Jodoin, Laurent & Onibon Doubogan, Yvette & Gaye, Ibrahima & Kola, Edinam, 2023. "Making energy justice work for women in rural sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative diagnostic from Benin, Senegal, and Togo," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    10. Obsa Urgessa Ayana & Jima Degaga, 2022. "Effects of rural electrification on household welfare: a meta-regression analysis," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 209-261, June.
    11. Su, Qinghe & Azam, Mehtabul, 2023. "Does access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) reduce the household burden of women? Evidence from India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    12. Sedai, Ashish Kumar & Vasudevan, Ramaa & Pena, Anita Alves & Miller, Ray, 2021. "Does reliable electrification reduce gender differences? Evidence from India," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 580-601.
    13. Bajo-Buenestado, Raúl, 2021. "The effect of blackouts on household electrification status: Evidence from Kenya," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    14. Bigerna, Simona & Choudhary, Piyush & Kumar Jain, Nikunj & Micheli, Silvia & Polinori, Paolo, 2022. "Avoiding unanticipated power outages: households’ willingness to pay in India," MPRA Paper 114160, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Gashaye, Amare Terefe & Liu, Hongxun & Li, Jianglong, 2025. "The effect of access to electricity on rural households of underdeveloped countries: Evidence from Ethiopia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    16. Bigerna, Simona & Choudhary, Piyush & Jain, Nikunj Kumar & Micheli, Silvia & Polinori, Paolo, 2024. "An empirical investigation of the Indian households’ willingness to pay to avoid power outages," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    17. Sumit Dey & Vandana Upadhyay & Manish Chouhan, 2022. "‘What Determines Socio-Economic Status and What Reflects It?’—Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling Approach," Journal of Development Policy and Practice, , vol. 7(2), pages 206-220, July.
    18. Gupta, Tanu & Khan, Md. Tajuddin & Negi, Digvijay Singh, 2025. "Agriculture, electrification and gendered time use in rural Bangladesh," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    19. Bhukta, Rikhia & Pakrashi, Debayan & Saha, Sarani & Sedai, Ashish, 2024. "Community electrification and women’s autonomy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    20. Su, Qinghe & Azam, Mehtabul, 2022. "Does Access to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Reduce Women Household Burden? Evidence from India," IZA Discussion Papers 15842, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. Priya, Pragati & Sharma, Chandan & Jha, Chandan Kumar, 2025. "Asymmetry in the inequality of opportunity in energy consumption across gender, caste, and religion in India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General

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