Article
Creating Opportunities for Women in the Renewable Energy Sector: Findings from India
Feminist Economics
(2015)
Abstract
This paper identifies opportunities and constraints that low-income women
face in accessing livelihoods in the renewable-energy sector in India through
qualitative and quantitative research conducted in collaboration with The
Energy Resources Institute (TERI) and the Self Employed Women’s Association
(SEWA) in 2012–13. Whereas previous research has focused on women mostly
as end users of solar and biomass technologies, this research attempts also
to understand women’s potential as entrepreneurs, facilitators, designers, and
innovators. Findings reveal that although access to technology and employment
in the energy sector is limited by inadequate purchasing power and low social
status, there is tremendous potential to create livelihoods for women at all levels
of the energy supply chain. Broader findings indicate that women can gain
optimal traction from employment in the energy sector only if there are wider
socially progressive policies in place, including state intervention to create a
robust social welfare infrastructure and accessible, high-quality, public services.
Keywords
- Women’s labor force participation,
- employment,
- poverty,
- renewable energy,
- solar energy,
- biomass,
- India
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
Citation Information
Bipasha Baruah. "Creating Opportunities for Women in the Renewable Energy Sector: Findings from India" Feminist Economics (2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/bipasha-baruah/16/