Vyasa, Sangita, Aashish Gupta, Nazar Khalid. 2021. Gender and LPG Use after Government Intervention in Rural North India. World Development.

Study Highlights

  • The use of solid fuels for cooking persists in rural north India despite large government subsidies encouraging liquid petroleum gas (LPG) adoption.
  • Using new quantitative and qualitative data, we find that patriarchal gender norms and attitudes encourage the use of solid fuels in this region.
  • These beliefs encourage women to preserve gas, promote work that facilitates the use of solid fuels, and hinder communication about LPG refills.
  • Those that regularly use gas often do so to facilitate the adherence to norms of seclusion that keep women from leaving home to collect solid fuels.
  • Future research and policy interventions should pay careful attention to the gender norms and attitudes that discourage the use of gas.

Photo credit: World LPG Association