Gendered Differences in Household Cooking Coping Strategies for the Russia-Ukraine War in Kenya

The Russia-Ukraine war disrupted global supply chains leading to higher fuel prices as well as food and fertilizer prices, exacerbating existing gender disparities in Kenya. Women, already heavily impacted by the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, faced further burdens due to rising fuel prices. During economic shocks, women are more likely to switch to cheaper, traditional cooking fuels despite their adverse effects. Switching to such fuels exposes women to spending significantly more time on fuel collection and meal preparation than men. This study investigates the gendered cooking coping strategies in Kenya following the Russia-Ukraine war. It also examines gender differences in time savings related to these strategies and assesses the effectiveness of a fuel subsidy introduced to cushion households from the adverse effects of the war. Using primary data from 995 households in rural and urban Kenya, the study uncovered significant gendered differences in cooking strategies. About two thirds of the households that stopped using kerosene following the Russia-Ukraine war switched to LPG, a cleaner fuel. This was less in women than men. Further, only about 8% of the households switched to firewood and this was mainly in rural areas, with women being more likely to switch to this fuel than men. Additionally, women spent more time on fuel collection and meal preparation, but the adoption of cleaner fuels appears to close the gaps. The study also finds that the fuel subsidy introduced to cushion households from the adverse of the war was not convincing enough to allow households to revert to kerosene use as only 8.04% of households reverted to using kerosene. Ensuring that clean cooking energy is available and affordable, especially for women in rural areas should be a policy priority.