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An Assessment of the Energy Poverty and Gender Nexus towards Clean Energy Adoption in Rural South Africa

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  • Omowunmi Mary Longe

    (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa)

Abstract

South Africa has about 2.5 million households without electricity access, most of which are located in rural areas and urban informal settlements. The nexus of energy poverty and gender is at play in the affected communities, as women and girls are culturally stereotyped with the task of collecting unclean fuels (e.g., firewood) and using these for their households’ energy demands. Therefore, this study prioritized rural women and girls as respondents in the provinces most affected by gendered energy poverty (GEP) in the country. The study was carried out in selected rural unelectrified areas of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces using structured interviews. The study revealed that GEP in the rural areas has exposed women and girls living there to security concerns, health hazards, premature death, domestic fire accidents, time poverty, income poverty, illiteracy, drudgery in households and farm tasks, etc., at different levels of severity. It also showed the effects of perceptions, age, income, and culture on the choice of energy use among the respondents. Mitigation strategies against GEP in rural South African communities through clean energy adoption are also proposed in this paper.

Suggested Citation

  • Omowunmi Mary Longe, 2021. "An Assessment of the Energy Poverty and Gender Nexus towards Clean Energy Adoption in Rural South Africa," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:12:p:3708-:d:579094
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hoffmann, Harry & Brüntrup, Michael & Dewes, Clara, 2016. "Wood energy in sub-Saharan Africa: how to make a shadow business sustainable," Briefing Papers 14/2016, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    2. Taryn Dinkelman, 2011. "The Effects of Rural Electrification on Employment: New Evidence from South Africa," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(7), pages 3078-3108, December.
    3. Khomotso Semenya & Fannie Machete, 2019. "Factors that influence firewood use among electrified Bapedi households of Senwabarwana Villages, South Africa," African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(6), pages 719-729, September.
    4. Omowunmi Mary Longe & Khmaies Ouahada, 2018. "Mitigating Household Energy Poverty through Energy Expenditure Affordability Algorithm in a Smart Grid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-17, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Abayomi Samuel Oyekale & Thonaeng Charity Molelekoa, 2023. "Multidimensional Indicator of Energy Poverty in South Africa Using the Fuzzy Set Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-15, February.

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