Gender and households’ choice of clean energy: A case of the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Current research in the energy sector has been dedicated to influencing energy policies to become more gender-sensitive. These research have concentrated on gender mainstreaming in the energy sector with only a few exploring the factors that account for gender differences with respect to clean energy choice at the household level. This paper examines the gender differences regarding clean energy choice for the home in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. The study used interview schedules to gather data from 400 randomly selected respondents in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The study found that there were several energy sources available to households within the Cape Coast Metropolis. Also, there was a significant difference in the choice of clean energy between men and women. A multilevel binary logistic regression revealed that more men chose and used clean energy than women based on their age, household size, income, educational level, energy independence and easy maintenance of clean energy equipment. It is recommended that energy policies in Ghana should be made sensitive to the gender dynamics.

Keywords

• Gender
• Clean energy
• Household
• Choice
• Cape Coast Metropolis