The social dimension of inclusive innovation: rethinking energy access from a gender perspective

By Maria Martina Marchesotti, Aalborg University, Denmark

Motivation

As an intern at AfricaLics, my interest in gender, energy access and innovation issues grew. Motivated by the writing of an annotated bibliography, I started digging in these thematic areas. Additionally, the article by W. Khaemba and A. Kingiri (2020) for instance in their article “Access to Renewable Energy Resources: A Gender and Inclusivity Perspective” (2020) played a crucial role for writing this blog. The article focuses on the dynamics of gender and inclusivity linked to renewable energy for “excluded people.” It claims that access to renewable resources is highly gendered and there are differences between men and women because women do not own any lands or houses and lack access to capital. In addition, the article takes into account the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG); in particular SDG 7 (access to clean, affordable and renewable energy) and SDG 5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) which would be essential in order to reach sustainable development for all.  Energy poverty exists at micro-level because governments prefer to invest in a large-scale project rather than at household level. This leads to a gender inequality in the energy sector. Lastly, it has been noted that in low and middle income countries, energy and poverty are correlated and that there is a need to include a gendered approach that can contribute to energy access for all, health benefits and other socioeconomic gains.

Background

In the last few years, women’s social dynamics and structures within the household and villages have been influenced by energy policies including the introduction of new and modern forms of renewable energy. Improvements in energy access is an intervention in a space where social relations between people, in this case women, exist. Thus, the relationship between inclusive innovation (understood to be the adaptation of an existing technology to a different context), gender roles and energy access should be seen as interconnected and intertwined. Policies in the field generally assume that increased energy access will empower women, for example, by reducing their workload and health problems associated with use of traditional energy sources (e.g. firewood, charcoal). However, according to available literature we need to understand how the relationship between energy access, technological innovation and gender will impact the socio-cultural dynamics of women’s lives. Rhodes et al. (2014) for instance note how new cook stoves fail to adapt, in terms of design, to the needs of women.

“Women in all sites agreed that maintaining tradition was a relevant benefit of using their traditional stoves and that cooking and specific food preparation practices were a component of their cultural identity. A single, universal stove design may not meet the cooking demands and local practices across different settings. Aspirations for a new stove varied between sites, depending on social norms and contextual needs (such as available resources) for each site.” (Rhodes at al. 2014:10320)

New cook stoves thus need to be adjusted to the different values and need held by the users, in this case women. This is an example of why we need to recognize the importance of addressing the social dimension of technological innovation intended to be inclusive.

Additionally, our understanding of sustainable development has evolved to better connect its three dimensions: economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability (Mensah 2019). The social perspective of inclusivity encompasses gender equality and women empowerment, which are part of the international agenda in the development field. In fact, SDG 5 addresses gender equality for all women and girls; whereas SDG 7 addresses access to clean, renewable and affordable energy. By combining the two, one can claim that one way of achieving gender equality is through access to energy. Indeed, many studies demonstrate how women’s livelihood has improved after having access to electricity (AfDB 2016; Wither et al. 2018; Bullock & Tegbaru 2019).

It has been claimed that women’s increased access to energy will empower them, improve their livelihood and their economic opportunities (Standal & Winther 2016). However, the social aspect of collecting firewood, water and other resources may be lost in the process. This is because in most of the rural and peri-urban settings, women are responsible for taking care of the household and therefore they are involved in collecting the resources necessary for the household. In these settings, they rely mainly on traditional biomass fuel and hence collecting the resources is a way to actively engage with women from other villages and a way to socially interact with others. In addition, lighting a fire in the middle of the homestead is a moment of interaction and a way of sharing values. Indeed, Straight (2007:52) points out how the process of cooking with fire is seen as “the social, practical, fecund and as well as sacred centre of a Samburu house”. In addition, the fire also represents a connection with the divinity (Ibid).

Kumar (2018) further highlights that women’s lives have not necessarily improved after accessing energy. In some cases, for instance, the time gained because of electricity access is used to keep maintaining and cleaning the house instead of improving their education which is important for subsequent improved livelihood (emphasis added). Arguably, instead of only thinking about how access to modern energy sources will improve women’s life in terms of health and economic growth, we need to consider how the relationship between energy access and development will impact the sociocultural dynamics of women’s life.

Recommendations for further discussion

Based on the above analysis and discussion, we note that without focussing our attention on the social dimension of inclusive innovation, we may not succeed in including this aspect in the development processes. In the analysis of the topic therefore, the following are some recommendations that may be relevant for policy and practice:

  • There is a need to consider the social interactions among women embedded in everyday practices in order to ensure that new practices (for instance those linked to the introduction of renewable energy) actually benefit different groups of women.
  • Policy makers should consider women’s needs (as diverse as they may be) and adjust the policies to take into account women’s needs, which are different from one context to another.

To sum up, policy and practices need to consider the social environment, dynamics and interactions of women’s everyday lives. Additionally, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the outcomes (positive and negative), of improving energy access, especially in low and middle income countries.


References

  • AfDB. (2016). Empowering women in African through access to sustainable energy: a desk review of gender-focused approaches in the renewable energy sector. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire: AfDB.
  • Bullock, C., & Tegbaru, A. (2019). Women’s agency in changing contexts: A case study of innovation processes in Western Kenya. Geoforum, 105, 78-88.
  • Khaemba, W., & Kingiri, A. (2020). Access to renewable energy: a gender and inclusivity perspective. Affordable and Clean Energy, Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Kumar, A. (2018). Justice and politics in energy access for education, livelihoods and health: How socio-cultural processes mediate the winners and losers. Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. 40, 3-13.
  • Mensah, J. (2019). Sustainable development: Meaning, history, priciples, pillars, and implications for human action: Literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, 5:1, 1-21.
  • Rhodes, E. L., Dreibelbis, R., Klasen, E., Naithani, N., Baliddawa, J., Menya, D.,  Khatry, S., Levy, S., Tielsch, J. M., Miranda, J. J., Kennedy, C., & Checkley, W. (2014). Behavioral attitudes and preferences in cooking practices with traditional open-fire stoves in Peru, Nepal, and Kenya: implications for improved cookstove interventions. International journal of environmental research and public health, 11(10), 10310–10326.
  • Standal, K., & Winther, T. (2016). Empowerment Through Energy? Impact of Electricity on Care Work Practices and Gender Relations. Forum for Development Studies Vol. 43, No. 1, 27-45.
  • Straight, B. (2015). House, fire, gender. Material Religion, 3:1, 48-61.
  • Winther, T., Ulsrud, K., & Saini, A. (2018). Solar powered electricity access: implications for women’s empowerment in rural Kenya. Energy Research & Social Science, 44, 61-74.
The social dimension of inclusive innovation: rethinking energy access from a gender perspective

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