renewable energy female political participation female economic participation development studies sub-Saharan Africa climate change
Abstract:
This thesis expands on why there are different levels of political participation in sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, I propose that environmental policy, specifically renewable energy policy, impacts gender differently and that those impacts are economic and political and can vary by region and country. To explore this concept, I utilize political, economic, and environmental data collected between 2010 and 2020 within the forty-eight countries of the sub-Sahara African region. I propose that the presence of renewable energy programs contributes to different levels of political participation in sub-Sahara Africa. I hypothesize that the presence of renewable energy programs leads to greater female economic and political participation. Secondly, I argue that greater female economic participation leads to greater political participation. While the models in my analysis do not find statistical evidence for a causal relationship between renewable energy and greater female economic and political participation, a qualitative analysis of Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire reveals that there are sociocultural factors to women benefitting from renewable energy programs. The study ends with recommendations on future analyses of the relationship between renewable energy and women, and how this may impact domestic and international policies moving forward.
