Exploring the Impact of Democratic Consolidation and Women’s Political Participation in Alleviating Energy Poverty
Exploring the Impact of Democratic Consolidation and Women’s Political Participation in Alleviating Energy Poverty

Summary/Abstract: Tackling energy poverty contributes to attaining Sustainable Development Goal 7, which seeks to provide universal access to cheap, dependable, eco-friendly energy by 2030. The present study examines drivers of energy poverty in South Africa using data from Q1 1997 to Q4 2021 to explore the association. The study employs nonlinear ARDL (NARDL), revealing that democracy and financial development exhibit significant positive long-run effects on energy poverty, while the short-run impacts demonstrate mixed asymmetries, with democracy showing a weaker negative effect. Economic growth and women’s political representation reduce energy poverty in the long run, emphasizing their pivotal roles in promoting equitable energy access and fostering sustainable communities. Conversely, energy prices have a strong positive long-run effect, exacerbating energy poverty. Although price reductions alleviate poverty significantly, short-run effects show smaller but consistent dynamics. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), policymakers should prioritize enhancing women’s political representation and promoting inclusive financial development to ensure equitable energy access, reduce energy poverty and support sustainable socioeconomic development.

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