Clean cooking is a cornerstone of a just energy transition, yet it remains one of the most gender-unequal areas of the global energy system.

Around 2.3 billion people still lack access to clean cooking, with women and girls bearing the greatest burden through unpaid care work, exposure to household air pollution, lost income, and heightened insecurity. In contexts of migration, forced displacement, and refugee or IDP settings, the absence of safe cooking solutions further undermines food security, dignity, and protection. Women and girls face increased risks of violence and exploitation when collecting fuel, while energy scarcity can exacerbate household tensions and gender-based violence.

This Deep Dive convenes practitioners, policymakers, financiers, regional centres, women’s groups, youth networks, and innovators to explore how feminist principles can transform clean cooking into a gender-just industrial and economic opportunity. It highlights women not only as end-users, but as leaders and entrepreneurs across the value chain—from stove design and manufacturing to distribution, maintenance, and policy leadership.

The session will examine feminist approaches to power and decision-making, gender-responsive industrialization, inclusive financing, and policy frameworks that embed equality and protection. Centering safety, rights, and women’s economic leadership strengthens health outcomes, reduces violence risks, creates green jobs, and builds resilient local markets in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.