Energy sector reform, particularly the pricing of fuel and its gender-differentiated impacts, is rarely studied in the literature on energy and gender. This empirical study examines whether energy pricing has differential consequences for men and women with regard to kerosene oil use in rural Bangladesh. Specifically, the variables under focus are the duration of the study, duration of night-time leisure and time spent on income-generating activities. A household survey with 630 kerosene using rural households has been conducted in eight districts of Bangladesh. Apart from OLS estimation, we also use IV to address the endogeneity embedded in the model. The study finds that higher kerosene prices have a gender-differentiated effect on study duration, night-time leisure duration and time spent on income-generating activities in the context of household use of lighting fuel. Females are more adversely affected by higher kerosene prices in terms of study duration and night-time leisure hours. The effort to offset these losses by increasing effort on income-generating activities is less successful for women than men.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.57138/PUIP5094

Date of Publication 

February 2022

Keywords

Fuel Price, Gender, Study, Leisure, Decision, Differentiated Impact

JEL Classification Code

Q40, Q48, I30, D60

Recommended Citation

Chowdhury, T. T., & Murshid, K. A. S. (2020). Does fuel pricing affect males and females differently? Evidence from kerosene using households in rural Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Development Studies, 43(3&4), 37-75. https://doi.org/10.57138/PUIP5094