Does improved cooking fuel empower women? Evidence from India

Abstract

AbstractReliance on biomass fuel remains high in many developing countries, like India. Shifting to clean fuel has widely recognized benefits for women in saving time, improving health, and creating a better environment. Other benefits to women in the form of increasing empowerment are a relatively under‐researched area. Using data from the nationally representative National Family Health Survey (2019–21) in India, this study uses endogenous treatment effect models to explore the causal effect of shifting to clean fuel on awareness, work, mobility, decision‐making and financial autonomy. Analysis reveals significant gains in all dimensions, particularly in women's mobility and decision‐making. The gains are relatively higher among less educated women, those from poor households, and those belonging to socially advantaged groups. Focusing on gains to empowerment will motivate women to adopt clean fuel and enable a holistic transformation of society through the simultaneous attainment of several Sustainable Development Goals.