The Role of Gender Concerns in the Planning of Small-Scale Energy Projects in Developing Countries

Citation:

Terrapon-Pfaff, Julia, Carmen Dienst, and Willington Ortiz. 2015. “The Role of Gender Concerns in the Planning of Small-Scale Energy Projects in Developing Countries.” In Decentralized Solutions for Developing Economies: Addressing Energy Poverty through Innovation, edited by Sebastian Groh, Jonas van der Straeten, Brian Edlefsen Lasch, Dimitry Gershenson, Walter Leal Filho, and Daniel M. Kammen, 285–94. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland.

Authors: Julia Terrapon-Pfaff, Carmen Dienst, Willington Ortiz

Abstract:

Energy poverty affects women in developing countries more severely than it affects men; at the same time, women have less control over household resources and are often not involved in decision-making processes on energy matters. In order for transition processes of energy systems to be sustainable, these gender-related concerns need to be addressed. Although this link is widely recognized, gender aspects are still not well perceived in the planning of energy projects. To better understand the role of gender concerns in project planning, the research presented in this paper evaluates concepts of small-scale sustainable energy projects with regard to their gender sensitivity. The data originates from an expert evaluation process and was analyzed with focus on gender-related aspects. The results show that even in sustainable energy projects the issue is still not high on the agenda.

Keywords: Gender, sustainable energy transitions, project concepts, developing countries

Topics: Development, Gender, Gender Analysis, Households, Infrastructure, Energy

Year: 2015