Panel Discussion: Women in Modern Energy Cooking (WMEC)
The panel discussion on Women in Modern Energy Cooking (WMEC) in the Modern Energy Cooking Forum 2024 shed light on a critical yet often overlooked dimension of the clean energy transition — the role of women as primary users, leaders, and change-makers in clean cooking.
For decades, cooking — especially in rural India — has been intrinsically tied to women’s daily lives. While this role has traditionally been confined to household duties, the panel highlighted how women’s deep-rooted knowledge of cooking practices can become a powerful driver of innovation and efficiency in the clean cooking ecosystem. By recognising women as both users and stakeholders, the clean cooking movement can not only improve technology adoption but also accelerate social transformation.
One of the panel’s key themes was the need to elevate women’s leadership and participation across the modern energy cooking value chain — from design and development to distribution and advocacy. Women bring unique insights rooted in lived experience, which can guide the creation of more context-appropriate solutions. However, barriers such as limited access to finance, lack of skill development opportunities, low awareness, and insufficient policy support remain formidable challenges.
It was noted that clean cooking solutions significantly impact women and children, who are the most affected by traditional biomass-based cooking methods. The health benefits, time savings, and reduction in household drudgery associated with eCooking were repeatedly emphasised. Yet despite the advantages, awareness among rural women about these technologies remains low, limiting their ability to influence purchasing decisions.
Self-help groups (SHGs) emerged as a crucial vehicle for empowerment, offering a strong community-based structure to foster training, skill development, and technology dissemination. Panellists also pointed out the potential of platforms like Manthan to promote entrepreneurship among rural women, enabling them to become not just users but also providers and advocates of clean cooking technologies.
The participation of women in the manufacturing sector also found a special mention — with 80% of those involved in the production of EESL’s induction cookstoves being women. This is a promising sign of the sector’s commitment to gender inclusivity.
However, systemic issues persist. Women’s contributions to fuel collection, biomass preparation, and traditional cooking processes are often undervalued and unsupported. The absence of structured upskilling initiatives only reinforces these inequities. The panellists made a strong case for long-term capacity-building, especially for rural women, to enhance trust in eCooking products and services.
Urban challenges, though different, also require attention. The discussion pointed out that in cities, the focus must shift towards making appliances more affordable, efficient, and user-friendly, especially for middle-class households. To address affordability concerns, carbon credit offsets and targeted subsidies were proposed as effective tools.
Another powerful takeaway was the importance of aligning eCooking technologies with local culinary practices. Top-down approaches often fall flat due to cultural disconnects. Hence, a needs assessment and participatory design approach was strongly recommended. Women, especially ASHA and Anganwadi workers, can serve as community anchors and powerful communicators of change.
The session also explored creative strategies to increase adoption, including organising contests and boot camps, which not only build awareness but also help “glamorise” eCooking, especially among younger demographics. Importantly, the panel called for dual-stove models with temperature control to better suit Indian cooking styles, reinforcing that one-size-fits-all solutions are not sufficient.
As the discussion drew to a close, a compelling vision emerged: that of an enabling ecosystem where women are recognised, empowered, and heard — not just within homes but also in policy rooms, innovation labs, and business forums. This, the panel concluded, is essential for the clean cooking sector to thrive and deliver on its environmental, social, and economic promises.
The session reaffirmed what many have long believed: women are not just beneficiaries of the clean energy transition — they are its architects.