Energy Transition and Gender in the Informal Street Food Sector in Africa

The informal street food sector is energy intensive and therefore presents an opportunity for a transition platform where there is potential to transition from polluting traditional energy sources to cleaner and sustainable energy sources. Considering gender issues in energy use in the street food sector is important since in many African countries, this sector is female dominated, which means, more women than men are exposed to harmful energy sources. As the world works hard to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, it’s imperative not to lose sight of the role of energy in income generation, and in the case of the street food sector, the importance of ensuring that those relying on income from this sector are provided with the opportunity to use clean cooking energy sources. This chapter aims to highlight several key issues to be considered by policy in working towards a sustainable energy transition in the informal street food sector.