New research from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) reveals that global economic shocks disproportionately force women in rural Kenya to switch to cheaper, traditional cooking fuels. This highlights an urgent need for a targeted clean energy policy.
The study, titled “Gendered Differences in Household Cooking Coping Strategies for the Russia-Ukraine War in Kenya,” analyzed primary data from 995 households in Kenya. It established that while the war’s ripple effects were global, they exacerbated existing gender inequalities at the household level. The effects included soaring fuel, food, and fertilizer prices.
AERC Executive Director Prof. Victor Murinde presented the findings at a joint conference in Nairobi, underscoring that economic crises burden women with adverse health and time costs.
The study’s key findings on household fuel choices after the kerosene price hike were:
- About two-thirds of households that stopped using kerosene switched to LPG (a cleaner fuel). However, women were less likely to make this cleaner switch than men.
- Only about 8% of all surveyed households switched to traditional firewood. Crucially, this switch was concentrated in rural areas, and women were significantly more likely to adopt firewood than men.
Prof. Murinde stressed that this reliance on traditional fuels forces women to spend considerably more time on fuel collection and meal preparation, besides exposing them to adverse health effects.
“Ensuring that clean cooking energy is available and affordable, especially for women in rural areas, should be a policy priority,” Prof. Murinde stated, emphasizing the need to safeguard low-income households.
The AERC event brought together policymakers, NGOs, UN agencies, and development banks to translate these findings into practical action. The discussions highlighted the urgency of shaping policies that advance food security, equity, and sustainable growth across Africa as the continent continues to navigate persistent high food prices.
The research was undertaken by Onyango Dickson Wandeda, Macharia Kenneth Kigundu, Ngui Dianah, and Maloi Lanoi.