Hurdles of Female-Headed Households for Cooking Fuel Choice and Consumption in Rural India

This chapter raises the research issue of hurdles of fuel choice of female-headed households in rural India. It identifies the determining factors of fuel choice and its non-zero quantity demand in rural female-headed household in fuel choice decision at different stages. Income and land are not determining factors of dirty fuel like firewood and chips selection in rural India. The choice of firewood and chips in rural area basically depends on family composition and education of female heads and castes, whereas consumption incidence depends on the said factors along with income and land. Empirical findings suggest to shift some consumers of firewood and chips to other clean fuels through educational attainment of female or raising awareness regarding dirty fuel consumption. Women suffer directly from ill effects of dirty fuel consumption and so their voice in decision-making of households might bring about some positive change in fuel consumption patterns of rural households in India. Female participation should be encouraged at decision-making and its execution that may help shifting households from consumption of dirty to clean fuels.