Energy poverty: have we got the measure of it?

At the macro-level it has long been accepted that there is a strong relationship between energy and economic growth (IDS, 2003). In the 1990s, the development discourse began to focus on the effects that economic growth has had on poverty. However, an interest in the links between energy and poverty took more time to emerge$^2$ Indeed, energy as an enabling factor in social transformations at the micro-level has not played a major role in the development discourse. Energy, unlike other infrastructure-related sectors such as water, transport and ICT, has also not been a central topic within the social sciences, including anthropology. The recent interest in climate change has focused on energy as the problem not part of the solution, particularly for the poor

Energy use in informal food enterprises:A gender perspective

The informal sector provides economic opportunities to the poor, and in sub-Saharan African countries it is dominated by women. Energy is a key input into the food sector enterprises. A study was carried out to review academic and non-academic literature on the use and gender impacts of modern energy in informal food enterprises. The review established that few studies have addressed energy for the informal food sector from a gender perspective. Although these few are qualitative in nature, they tend to lack in-depth analysis of gender and of the cause-and-effect linkages between modern energy use in the informal sector and the gendered goals of women and men. Moreover, a lack of understanding of gender from a relational perspective focusing on both women and men impeded conclusions on empowerment in terms of whether increased access to modern energy in the informal food sector contributes to closing the gender gap. This paper makes three key recommendations. First, scholars need to address the gaps and take a relational approach, so that studies are not just about women but also about the power relations between various groups of women and men. Secondly, policy needs to recognise that biomass is sometimes desired not just as an energy source but also for the flavour it imparts to food. Lastly, policy should be informed by the needs of informal enterprise owners and their customers, not by the general discourse in the energy sector that assumes that increased uptake of modern energy services makes positive contributions to enterprises.</p

Energy use in informal food enterprises: A gender perspective

The informal sector provides economic opportunities to the poor, and in sub-Saharan African countries it is dominated by women. Energy is a key input into the food sector enterprises. A study was carried out to review academic and non-academic literature on the use and gender impacts of modern energy in informal food enterprises. The review established that few studies have addressed energy for the informal food sector from a gender perspective. Although these few are qualitative in nature, they tend to lack in-depth analysis of gender and of the cause-and-effect linkages between modern energy use in the informal sector and the gendered goals of women and men. Moreover, a lack of understanding of gender from a relational perspective focusing on both women and men impeded conclusions on empowerment in terms of whether increased access to modern energy in the informal food sector contributes to closing the gender gap. This paper makes three key recommendations. First, scholars need to address the gaps and take a relational approach, so that studies are not just about women but also about the power relations between various groups of women and men. Secondly, policy needs to recognise that biomass is sometimes desired not just as an energy source but also for the flavour it imparts to food. Lastly, policy should be informed by the needs of informal enterprise owners and their customers, not by the general discourse in the energy sector that assumes that increased uptake of modern energy services makes positive contributions to enterprises

Seed funding for Gender and Energy Network South Africa (GENSA): first progress report

Commissioned by the Gender and Energy Network South Africa (GENSA), MarchThe present report for seed funding activities is intended to identify the abovementioned indicators and feed the overall reporting format for DGIS and SIDA, including the identification of lessons learned, challenges and opportunities for the future of the national networks (sustainability)

Current trends and aspects of gender, climate change and biofuels developments in Africa

Paper presented at the Energia Africa Regional Workshop, Botswana, 9-11 Decembe

Seed funding for Gender and Energy Network South Africa (GENSA): 2nd progress report

Commissioned by the Gender and Energy Network South Africa (GENSA), AugustThe present report for seed funding activities is intended to identify the abovementioned indicators and feed the overall reporting format for DGIS and SIDA, including the identification of lessons learned, challenges and opportunities for the future of the national networks (sustainability)

Finally breaking the barriers: South African case study on LPG use by low-income urban households

Paper presented at the Istanbul Pre-conference workshop on "Clean Cooking Fuels", 16-17 Jun

The use of liquefied petroleum gas by South African low-income urban households: a case study

At the end of 2005 and in 2006, the Western Cape suffered extended blackouts. The cuts came as a shock and customers were loud in their criticism of Eskom and the City of Cape Town's failure to provide a reliable electricity supply. The utility Eskom's responses included the introduction of an aggressive Demand Side Management (DSM) programme with the goal of saving electricity and reducing the need to shed customers. In Khayelitsha, Cape Town, the DSM programme entailed an exchange and subsidy programme: households were encouraged to swop their two-plate electric stoves for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) stoves. This intervention is the subject of this paper. The results of the study were analysed in terms of the socio-economic characteristics of the sample interviewed, multiple fuel use and transition trends in households in urban areas, changes in behaviour in electricity and LPG use, changing perceptions of LPG and the impact of the intervention. Previous studies in household energy use showed that people perceived LPG to be dangerous saying that it posed a greater danger to the household than paraffin since it might explode. Surprisingly, during the electricity power cuts in 2006, people in low-income communities, readily accepted LPG stoves in great numbers and a year later, up to 89% of the households surveyed, reported still using LPG for cooking.

More work for women: a rights-based analysis of women's access to basic services in South Africa

South Africa has a commendable legislative and policy framework for basic services that explicitly recognises historic disadvantage, including gender. Yet, as explored in this article, inadequate access to water and electricity services has a disproportionately negative effect on women. This is because there is a sexual division of labour within most households meaning that, in addition to typically being singly responsible for childcare, washing, cooking and cleaning, women must usually also take on the role of managing water and energy supplies. In this role, women experience multiple obstacles in accessing these goods, related to the availability, affordability and amount of water and electricity supplied. Analysing such obstacles, this article concludes that, as public services that enter the private realm of the household, water and electricity services are perhaps uniquely resistant to gender-specific legislative and policy recommendations. It suggests that the best way to improve women's access to basic services is through a socio-economic class analysis, advancing greater access by poor households.