Better power supply improves rural women's autonomy, safety, finds study

IIT-Kanpur researchers found that improved electricity supply enhances rural women's mobility, participation in household decision-making, health, marital choices, reproductive autonomy, and safety

A recent study has shown that improved and reliable electricity supply advances women’s autonomy, including their mobility, participation in household decision-making, health, marital choices, reproductive autonomy, and safety, especially in rural areas.

 

The study, Community Electrification and Women’s Autonomy, conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur’s Rikhia Bhukta, Debayan Pakrashi, and Sarani Saha, along with University of Colorado’s Ashish Sedai, found that “the power of reliable community electricity extends into the home as well, enabling women to take on more decision-making roles.” Sedai is now with the University of Texas at Arlington, while Pakrashi is with the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.

 

The researchers analysed five datasets spanning over two decades, including household survey, administrative and satellite data — the Indian Human Development Survey, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports, Socioeconomic High-resolution Rural-Urban Geographic Dataset on India, Indian Residential Energy Survey (IRES), and National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019–21).

 

Lighting up safety and opportunities 

The study found that better-lit streets, public places, and households reduced the risk of violence against women, with the number of rapes decreasing by 0.8 per cent with an increase in 10 additional electricity hours. Improved lighting allowed women to access public spaces for longer hours, work later, attend evening classes, or socialise without fear. This fostered increased participation in their communities, contributing to economic and social resilience.

 

According to the study, community lighting fosters a sense of collective safety, enabling families and neighbours to be more vigilant in well-lit spaces. It found that “an additional 10 hours of average community electricity leads to an increase in women’s freedom to go out independently by 0.44 standard deviations during 2004–2012.”

 

Perceptions of harassment in well-lit localities reduce by 0.5 percentage points, which correlates with an increase in years of education (by 0.06 years) and a 2 per cent rise in the likelihood of paid employment with 10 additional electricity hours.

 

Improvement in decision-making, from health to household 

The researchers observed that as the reliability of electricity increases, women’s participation in household decisions — such as family planning, finances, and political opinions — improves significantly. For instance, the study found that with 10 additional hours of community electricity, contraceptive use among women rose by 4 percentage points, reflecting greater reproductive autonomy. Access to television and other media also plays a role, exposing women to new ideas and gender-equal norms.

 

Reliable electricity improves health autonomy, enabling women to access medical treatment more easily. With reliable community lighting, health facilities are accessible at night, leading to increased treatment for short-term illnesses. Additionally, reliable electricity helps households shift away from using biomass fuels or kerosene stoves, which harm respiratory health, particularly for women.

 

Challenges and recommendations for policy framers 

The researchers noted that India has made significant progress in electrification, especially in rural areas. Data from the Indian Residential Energy Survey (2020) suggests that 96.7 per cent of households are connected to the grid. However, the reliability of electrification remains a challenge.

 

Hourly supply quality data from the Electricity Supply Monitoring Initiative (ESMI) shows that in June 2019, 63 per cent of ESMI locations faced more than 15 hours of power outages daily, and 39 per cent experienced over 30 interruptions, each lasting more than 15 minutes. Rural areas are particularly affected, with only 5 per cent receiving six hours of evening supply (5–11 pm), compared to 45 per cent in mega cities.

 

Data from the Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity – Survey of States shows marginal improvement in electricity supply in six energy-poor states, increasing from 12.3 hours in 2015 to 14.9 hours in 2018. Night-time supply, however, remained stagnant at around 3.7 hours in 2018.

 

“Given this backdrop, we try to point out how improving intensive margins can benefit women in terms of their social autonomy and attempt to add some additional fuel to the policy initiatives of improving the reliability of electricity in India,” the researchers stated.

 

The study offers valuable insights for policymakers. Reliable community electrification, well-lit public spaces, and improved access to energy should be treated not merely as technical advancements but as drivers of social progress, deeply interconnected with gender equality and social inclusion, the researchers concluded.