Community Electrification and Women’s Autonomy

This study examines the effects of community-level electrification on women’s social autonomy in India
using panel household survey data, administrative data and satellite data spanning over two decades.
Using flexible difference-in-difference estimators, we find higher community-level electricity hours reduce
incidence of sexual violence against women, and improve women’s mobility, fertility choices and access
to health care. Results are robust when using night-time luminosity as an alternative indicator of community
electrification, most recent data on reliability of electricity and alternative longitudinal estimation techniques.
Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effects are stronger in rural areas compared to urban areas. We
identify four main channels through which electricity impacts women’s autonomy: paid employment,
education, exposure to mass media and safety.