Gendered energy relations at the crossroads of Asia: Electrification, empowerment, and mixed outcomes in northeastern Afghanistan

Abstract This study analyzes the socio-economic impact of electrification with special attention to gender dynamics using evidence from the Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. We employ survey data and stakeholder interviews to evaluate changes in education, health and economic opportunities. We find that women in grid-supplied communities are on average 27% more literate and complete more years of schooling compared to women in off-grid communities. Households in grid-supplied communities report a lower incidence of diseases, lower child mortality, improved access to ante-natal care, and higher vaccination rates, but they also endure a higher incidence of respiratory diseases due to cooking indoors. We show that switching from off-grid to grid-supplied electricity would allow households to power either 4,200 hours of LED light, 1,340 hours of TV, or 55 hours of hotplate usage at no additional cost. Access to grid-supplied electricity also enables economic opportunities which is reflected in the average higher income by a factor of 5.9 compared to households using solar panels. Moreover, households with grid-electricity save time on the collection of biomass fuel, e.g. for households using firewood, the daily time saving potential amounts to 5 hours. Consequently, men spend on average more time with their children and are more likely to provide help with household tasks that are typically in the female domain in grid-supplied households. Nonetheless, we find that access to grid electricity has mixed effects on education, health and economic outcomes, especially with regards to gender dynamics. Therefore, we challenge the assumption of a linear relationship between electrification and associated impacts, and stress that structural, institutional and power dynamics exert greater influence on education, health and economic outcomes than access to electricity alone.