Analysis of the impact of women's empowerment and social network connections on the adoption and sustained use of clean cooking fuels and technologies in Uganda

Abstract

The study examines the influence of women's empowerment and social networks on the ‘adoption and sustained use of clean cooking fuels and technologies’ (CCF&Ts) among Ugandan households. Analyzing data from the 2020–2021 Uganda National Household Survey (U.N.H.S.), the investigation focuses on 9388 households countrywide and employs a double hurdle model’ to estimate the marginal effects.

The results show that women's empowerment (coefficient = 0.045) and social network effects (coefficient = 0.24) jointly predict approximately 22.4% of CCF&Ts adoption and 15% of sustained use among households at a significance level of p < 0.05. Furthermore, the study reavels that factors like the sex of the household head, household income, size, roof type, house material, and urban residence have a ‘significant positive impact’ on CCF&Ts adoption and sustained use.

The study recommends prioritizing policies that empower women and promote the sharing of energy-related information within social groups to enhance household capability in adopting and sustaining the use of CCF&Ts. Additionally, the study proposes that future research should incorporate qualitative, primary, and panel research approaches for an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing CCF&Ts's adoption. It should target urban downtown areas, slums, and the outskirts of towns and focus on adopters who may not sustainably use these fuels and technologies.