Clean Cooking to Empower Rural Women in the Energy Transition: Evidence from Guatemala
Peer Reviewed
Date issued
September 2026
Subject
Women;
Energy Transition;
Electricity;
Human Health;
Health;
Gender and Development;
Science and Technology;
Credit
JEL code
P28 - Natural Resources • Energy • Environment;
Q53 - Air Pollution • Water Pollution • Noise • Hazardous Waste • Solid Waste • Recycling;
Q54 - Climate • Natural Disasters and Their Management • Global Warming;
J16 - Economics of Gender • Non-labor Discrimination;
I15 - Health and Economic Development
Country
Guatemala
Category
Technical Notes
In Guatemala, it is common to find firewood burning in household kitchens, a reality that is widespread across Latin America and the Caribbean, where millions of people still rely on biomass for cooking. This dependence exposes families, particularly women and children, to serious health risks and contributes to environmental pollution. It also limits economic and educational opportunities for women and girls, who spend many hours cooking and collecting firewood.
To support the transition toward clean and accessible cooking, between January and June 2022 the IDB led a pilot project aimed at transforming the cooking practices of 80 families by offering to replace firewood with induction cooktops and electric multi-cookers, financed by the project. In addition, the project encouraged families to purchase tortillas from local tortilla shops rather than prepare them at home, potentially reducing the time women spend cooking by up to 70 hours per month.
The project was implemented in two peri-urban villages near Guatemala City, San Juan del Obispo and Santa Cruz Chinautla, where women spent an average of 40 hours per week cooking and up to US$23 per month on firewood. The main objective was to assess the impact of changes in cooking fuels and practices on the amount of time women spend cooking; whether reductions in cooking time were accompanied by greater participation in productive, educational, or other activities; and the economic impact of replacing firewood with electricity for cooking.
The pilot was developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in collaboration with the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) program and financed by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).
To support the transition toward clean and accessible cooking, between January and June 2022 the IDB led a pilot project aimed at transforming the cooking practices of 80 families by offering to replace firewood with induction cooktops and electric multi-cookers, financed by the project. In addition, the project encouraged families to purchase tortillas from local tortilla shops rather than prepare them at home, potentially reducing the time women spend cooking by up to 70 hours per month.
The project was implemented in two peri-urban villages near Guatemala City, San Juan del Obispo and Santa Cruz Chinautla, where women spent an average of 40 hours per week cooking and up to US$23 per month on firewood. The main objective was to assess the impact of changes in cooking fuels and practices on the amount of time women spend cooking; whether reductions in cooking time were accompanied by greater participation in productive, educational, or other activities; and the economic impact of replacing firewood with electricity for cooking.
The pilot was developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in collaboration with the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) program and financed by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).
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