Gender differences and productive use of energy fuel in Ghana’s rural non-farm economy

Abstract

This paper examines: (i) energy policies and plans in Ghana to understand their responsiveness to gender-energy needs for productive uses, (ii) the fuels utilised by men and women for productive purposes at the rural non-farm economy (RNFE), and (iii) the factors that influence the choice of fuels by men and women for productive purposes at the RNFE. Using the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ghana as a case and by adopting the mixed methodological approach, primary data was obtained from 256 enterprise operators and relevant institutions. The results indicate that energy access policies in Ghana fail to clearly promote gender inclusivity in terms of identifying the energy needs of men and women for productive purposes. Energy use varied across genders and enterprises. Women largely used solid fuels while men used cleaner fuels for productive purposes. The use of energy services for productive purposes in the RNFE was gendered, which was similar to the reasons for utilising a fuel type. The paper concludes that policy interventions should identify gendered energy needs to address energy poverty between men and women.