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Energy Subsidies & Gender

Evidence finds that fossil fuel subsidies are bad for poverty reduction, the environment and fiscal sustainability—and are therefore in need of reform. There is little data on their different impacts on women and men, nor on how it can reduce gender inequality.

Energy Empowerment Programme Launched at IISD Offices

February 16, 2015 | Shruti Sharma , Laura Merrill
Geneva—11-13 February—Last week the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the IISD Energy programme helped launch a new gender and energy initiative organised by ENERGIA and funded by UKDFID in Geneva at the IISD offices with 30 consortium participants.  The IISD programme will focus on energy empowerment, energy sector reform and impacts for gender.

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Reports: Power, Gender and Fossil-fuel Subsidy Reform in India

July 11, 2014
This paper explores the link between fossil-fuel subsidies and gender in India. It focuses on the likely gender impacts of reform across cooking, lighting, pumping and transport fuels. Research finds subsidies have provided little benefit to the rural population and to the poor, especially to two thirds of people who rely on biomass for cooking.

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Blog: New Report on Gender and Fossil-Fuel Subsidies in India

July 11, 2014
A new report by the GSI looks at gender relations and data with regard to fossil-fuel subsidy reform, and looks at the likely impact of reform across cooking, lighting, water pumping and transport fuels from a gender perspective. The report has four main observations. First, fossil-fuel subsidies (13.7% of India’s budget expenditure in 2012-2013) have historically provided little benefit for rural women.

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