Gender equity in access to and benefits from modern energy and improved energy technologies: world development report background paper

This background paper has been commissioned as a contribution to the preparation of the World Development Report 2012 which will focus on development and gender equality. It is a companion paper to two other papers which examine gender issues in relation to common property resources and economic dimensions of gender and energy. Gender, as a concept, refers to the socially determined ideas and practices of what it is to be female or male. It contrasts with the concept of sex which uses biological attributes to categorise someone as male or female (Reeves and Baden, 2000). This paper focuses on the socio-cultural dimensions that influence and shape gender equity in terms of access to and benefits from access to modern energy1 and improved energy technologies2. Gender equity recognises that women and men have different needs and interests, and that to achieve equality in life outcomes, a redistribution of power and resources is required (Reeves and Baden, 2000).