1. Gender, Subsidies and Subsidy Reform
Strengthening the empirical evidence: Gender inclusive energy policies enabling progress towards the SDGs
Gender, Subsidies and Subsidy Reform
Lucy Kitson, International Institute for Sustainable Development, May 2017

2. Scoping the policy issue: why we need research
Our hypothesis: Subsidies and their reform affect energy use, and can therefore be expected to affect men and women differently
But, scoping work shows that we simply don’t know how and to what extent subsidies and their reform affect women
We need to understand effects to prevent adverse outcomes and realize positive outcomes– for this we need data

3. When it goes wrong: The effects of badly designed policy
Subsidy policy
Poor women as beneficiaries
Shortages & high prices
Opportunity cost of subsidies
Subsidy reform
Income & energy use effects for women
Dislocation & protest
Specific examples
India kerosene subsidies
LPG reform in Thailand
Nigeria petrol prices
Begin slide with – why do we subsidise at all?
These effects can be mitigated and benefits realized if they are understood

4. Informing policy – directions from Nigeria
Literature reviews, data audits and pilot studies completed. Surveys and focus group discussions currently underway
Different groups will be affected differently depending on energy use
Data audits suggest lower income and control over resources for women: focus compensation (in-kind or cash) on women
Interventions focused on maintaining access to modern energy sources
Previous experience shows communication efforts are a key part of success
Understanding context is vital for policy success – not just between, but also within countries