PRIORITIZING
CLEAN
COOKING AND
GENDER
IN ENERGY POLICY

Ambitious, comprehensive, and inclusive energy policies are needed to address energy poverty, environmental degradation, and gender inequality.

As the world grapples with the intertwined challenges

of energy poverty, environmental degradation, and gender inequality, the need for a comprehensive and inclusive energy policy framework has become paramount.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encapsulates a universal call for action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. At its core are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which form a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future. SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, including access to clean cooking, stands out as a pivotal objective.

The addition of clean cooking as a specific SDG target, on par with electrification, has been instrumental in progress to date and a direct result of the research and advocacy of leading organizations like CCA, ENERGIA, and the World Health Organization.

However, the significance of clean cooking, a critical subset of energy access, is often overshadowed by discussions about electricity and renewable generation. Without urgent political prioritization and mobilization of finance, 1.9 billion people will still be without access to clean cooking in 2030, with nearly six out of 10 of those living in sub-Saharan Africa.

_{^{© Hannah Blair / CLASP}}

The gender gap within this energy access gap is even more alarming. Women are disproportionately affected by energy poverty and climate change, and because the energy sector is male-dominated, energy policies, programs, and projects tend to be gender-blind.

While there is a long way to go, clean cooking is rising up on political agendas. As of March 2023, 98 low- and middle-income countries have included household energy or clean cooking measures in their nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement.

The UN’s High-level Dialogue on Energy in September 2021 led to the mobilization of Energy Compacts as a policy tool to drive progress on SDG 7. Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, and Rwanda set ambitious clean cooking targets, and a Clean Cooking Compact was endorsed by more than 70 international stakeholders. These initiatives represent a promising new wave of national leadership, from India’s LPG program that has expanded access to more than 50 million low-income households through targeted subsidies, to Tanzania, which is developing a 10-year strategy of reaching 80% clean cooking energy usage by 2032 (up from 7% in 2021). But implementing these transformational plans will require dedicated resources, financing, and capacity building to enable governments to lead sustainable clean cooking transitions.

The Gender-Energy Nexus

Access to affordable, sustainable, safe, and clean energy is a precondition for achieving SDG 5 on gender equality and for empowering all women and girls. Yet, while gender inequalities in energy access are substantial, they remain largely unmeasured. In fact, SDG 7 is one of six SDGs without gender-specific indicators. Often, women’s needs are ignored, causing them to fall further behind and reducing the chance of achieving these goals.

Providing clean energy to households is critical to achieving global climate and sustainable development goals.

_{^{© Mauro Vombe / Clean Cooking Alliance}}

However, we can change this situation by recognizing and prioritizing women’s needs and preferences in energy policies, programs, and projects. This consideration should cover every step, from planning and design to execution. While emerging initiatives by national governments, international organizations, and the private sector are seeking to close these gender gaps, more efforts are urgently needed.

At least 10 countries have included gender in their national energy policies, and Kenya was the first government to adopt a National Gender and Energy Policy in 2019. In addition, the Economic Community of West African States has developed a Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access to provide policymakers with evidence on implementing gender-sensitive energy interventions.

_{^{© Pratik Shrestha / Clean Cooking Alliance}}

In 2021, ENERGIA, UNIDO, and GWNET initiated a Gender and Energy Compact to stimulate action toward gender equality and women’s empowerment to accelerate a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition. The compact currently counts over 80 signatories, including governments, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, and the private sector. In 2022, the World Bank began including gender tracking in its Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy, which collects data from 111 countries, and the International Energy Agency opened a gender and energy portal to track gender gaps in employment and wages, senior management, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the energy sector. But continued efforts are required to strengthen the collection of gender-responsive energy data and to address the lack of data and consistency of data collection.

Kenya’s Gender and Energy Policy: A Case Study

Kenya has emerged as a pioneering force in recognizing the intricate link between gender and energy.

As part of its commitment to achieving the SDGs and national development plans, Kenya’s Ministry of Energy launched its Gender and Energy Policy in 2019. The policy, the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive framework for mainstreaming gender considerations across the energy sector.

“We believe that the implementation of this policy will promote gender-sensitive energy institutions and enhance inclusivity and participation of women, men, and all marginalized groups.”

_{^{–PHOEBE MAKUNGU, GENDER OFFICER, MINISTRY OF ENERGY, KENYA}}

Despite the efforts and success in increasing overall access to energy, Kenya’s progress had been hindered by the affordability, reliability, and capacity of energy services and clean cooking solutions, and by cultural norms that influence and shape the participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups in the energy supply chain.

Moreover, much more needs to be done with regard to clean cooking technologies, whose adoption has not matched the same positive outcome as with electricity access in recent years. The Gender and Energy Policy intends to address these development gaps and demonstrate the Ministry’s commitment to providing all individuals with equal opportunities for using energy services, without any gender-based discrimination.

Even in the short time since Kenya implemented this approach, several key lessons have emerged that can help create a blueprint for others. These include:

Doing a focused gender analysis and audits to identify existing policy gaps and priorities and strengthen data and evidence to demonstrate the value of gender mainstreaming.

Ensuring active participation of women and men throughout the value chain.

Building multi-stakeholder alliances and leveraging existing gender-focused programs.

Finding gender champions within the government who will support implementation, as gender mainstreaming is a long-term commitment; process and policies on paper are not enough.

The world is way off track to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The annual funding gap has risen from $2.5 trillion before the COVID-19 pandemic to an estimated $4.2 trillion today. SDG 7 stands out as one of the most lagging goals, primarily because of sluggish advancements in ensuring access to clean cooking solutions.

It's imperative that governments usher in a new phase marked by expedited advancements toward the SDGs. The time is right for transformative actions that pave the way to a future where no one is left behind and the ambitions of the SDGs are not just aspirations, but a lived reality.