Agriculture, Electrification and Gendered Time Use in Rural Bangladesh

We study the linkages between electrification, activity participation and time use of individuals in rural Bangladesh. We find that households’ access to grid electricity positively correlates with the likelihood of males participating in non-farm work and females participating in agriculture. In electrified households, females reallocate time from domestic work and caregiving to more leisure and farming. Household access to electricity is positively associated with greater ownership of appliances like fans, refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones. Moreover, we observe a greater likelihood of electrified households irrigating via electrical pumps and using female family labor on their farms. Electrification is also positively associated with women’s involvement in decisions regarding farm-related activities and household expenses. The findings suggest that in farming communities, agriculture may play a critical role in the link between rural electrification, women’s workforce participation, and household bargaining power.