This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
Kenya's ambitious goal of achieving 100 per cent energy access by 2022 has sparked a revolution in clean energy, with solar products like lights and phone chargers becoming increasingly accessible to even the poorest households.
However, a recent study conducted in Tanzania highlights a concerning trend: the benefits of clean energy may not be reaching everyone, particularly women.
According to the research, which was carried out over two years, hundreds of women who were connected to clean energy reported a boost in their earning power and the ability to work, study, and relax in the evening.
But the study also found that the full benefits of clean energy are not reaching everyone, and the arrival of new energy technology in a home risks shifting power from women to men.
The companies that sell solar home systems often benefit from government and NGO funding, and therefore have a responsibility to not ignore, let alone worsen, gender divides.
One of the key findings of the study was that household decision-making around buying solar energy systems is highly complicated, with women contributing in a range of ways, but men ultimately having the final say.
Furthermore, bank and other payment accounts are almost always in the man's name, even if both partners are equally responsible for finding money to pay the bills.
The study also highlighted the significant inequalities that exist between men and women in terms of access to technology and financial resources.
For example, in the poorest region visited, only 60 per cent of women owned a mobile phone and just four per cent had a bank account, compared to 90 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively, for men.
The study's findings have important implications for Kenya's energy access plans, and highlight the need for a more nuanced approach to addressing the complex issues surrounding energy access and gender inequality.
