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Access to cleaner cooking fuel in India: the regional and gender disparities

Author

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  • Jayshree Dutta

    (Indian Institute of Technology Madras)

  • Santosh Kumar Sahu

    (Indian Institute of Technology Madras)

Abstract

Access to clean energy and gender equality are two of the most crucial sustainable development goals (SDGs) that affect households directly. But for a country like India, cooking and procuring fuels are intertwined with intrahousehold gender dynamics, making it even more vital to study them together. Here, we utilise the data from a large-scale rural survey across six energy-poor Indian states to formulate a Clean Fuel Empowerment Index for households. We employ Exploratory Factor Analysis, reducing factor multidimensionality into five major domains of determinants spanning female-led household decisions, awareness, and economic aspects. Further, we use linear and quantile regression methods to investigate the power dynamic within the household by asking whether a female head of the household influences the overall household's empowerment status. Our results confirm that female-led decision-making is the lowest for fuel stackers and only dirty fuel users and, therefore, a significant differentiator from “only clean fuel” users. Our results signify that female-led households and females with decision-making capacity within families are crucial in empowering a home to access clean fuel. Hence, gender-inclusive energy policy could be a significant driving force toward the transition to clean energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Jayshree Dutta & Santosh Kumar Sahu, 2025. "Access to cleaner cooking fuel in India: the regional and gender disparities," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 11645-11674, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:27:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s10668-023-04373-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04373-9
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