Household Energy Use Among Female-Headed Households in Urban Ethiopia: Key Issues for the Uplift of Women

Abstract

This article examines the linkages between cooking energy and gender based on a study conducted in Arba Minch town of southwestern Ethiopia. It primarily investigates cooking energy end-use within female-headed households (FHHs) residing in the town and specifically focuses on women who disproportionately suffer the impacts of energy accessibility. This study reveals that commercial cooking fuels are increasingly scarce and expensive, and the costs of modern cooking appliances are beyond the purchasing ability of most urban FHHs. Meeting the energy requirements in sustainable manner, thus, continues to be a major challenge that hinders FHHs’ efforts to improve their living situations. The results further show that though the income is an important factor, it is not the only powerful determinant in the consumption of cooking fuels within FHHs. Other socioeconomic characteristics were found to have a significant impact too. This study further examines the relevance of the “fuel stacking” model and finds that the majority of the FHHs, regardless of their economic status, depend on wood fuels as their primary cooking energy source. Even when family incomes rose, complete transition to cleaner fuels has not taken place; instead, it added fuels in the fuel stacking process.