Women's empowerment in driving the energy transition for sustainable development in developing nations

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of women's empowerment on the energy transition for sustainable development in developing nations, addressing gaps in prior research that often overlooked or lacked conclusive evidence on this relationship. While previous studies have suggested that gender equality may influence energy outcomes, they have typically either failed to quantify the impact of multidimensional women's empowerment on energy transition outcomes or ignored non-linear dynamics. This research fills this gap by combining robust econometric techniques with machine learning methods to provide a more nuanced and reliable analysis. Using data from 71 developing nations over 2001–2021, the study employs two-stage least squares, SYS-GMM, and counterfactual analysis, alongside random forest machine learning techniques. The use of random forest, which identifies non-linear relationships, offers deeper insights into how women's empowerment impacts energy access, efficiency, and sustainability, which traditional econometric methods may overlook. The results show that women's empowerment significantly drives energy transition outcomes, with a 9.03 % improvement in electricity access, a 2.0 % increase in clean cooking fuel usage, a 20.8 % rise in renewable electricity share, and a 2.9 % improvement in energy efficiency. These metrics highlight the diverse impacts of women's empowerment and their importance for policymakers aiming to meet sustainable energy goals. Notably, the effects are stronger in least developed countries, where electricity access improves by 17.2 %. This study identifies income inequality reduction as a key mediating factor amplifying these energy outcomes, emphasizing the need to integrate gender equality into energy policy frameworks for achieving inclusive and sustainable energy transitions.