Gender and energy for sustainable development

Energy services are linked to well-being and have the potential to impact almost every area of human life, from increased economic activity to improved child literacy, safe drinking water and women's empowerment. Energy is a critical input in the daily lives of women for their household chores such as cooking and space heating; for agricultural uses, including post-harvest processing; and for rural industry uses such as milling and process heat. Energy poverty is a problem that has a disproportionate effect on women and girls. This paper explores the implications of the prevalent energy poverty for women in developing countries. At the same time, the paper highlights how addressing gender issues in the energy sector can help achieve overall developmental goals, contribute towards achievement of the MDGs, and makes specific recommendations towards gender mainstreaming in the energy sector.