Securing women’s livelihoods with solar energy in India

Context

India’s energy consumption has more than doubled since 2000 due to population growth, economic expansion, and rising living standards. While emissions per person are low, India remains the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Rural areas, home to over 60 per cent of the population, play a crucial role in mitigating climate change as the agricultural sector significantly contributes to emissions. This industry accounts for 18 per cent of the electricity use and is the second-largest consumer of diesel. Women, who make up over 80 per cent of the rural agricultural workforce, are particularly affected by unreliable energy access, which limits their opportunities to improved livelihoods. Although solar initiatives for agriculture exist, they lack a gender-responsive approach, reducing their potential to address these challenges effectively.

Objective

Livelihood opportunities for women have improved through the adoption of solar energy solutions in rural India.

Approach

The project follows a gender-responsive approach to improve the livelihood opportunities for women in rural India through the promotion of solar energy applications. This is achieved through:

• Conducting a gender needs analysis and collecting empirical data on the impact of the gender-energy nexus on livelihoods, developing recommendations for gender-responsive policies;
• Developing targeted capacity development programmes to address the specific needs of women in rural areas;
• Designing financial products tailored to support rural women in adopting solar energy solutions in India.

Last update: February 2025