Raw and processed data from face-to-face interviews in women-owned enterprises: Productive use in 40 enterprises across multiple African countries
Description
The current body of research on the gender-energy nexus has largely concentrated on the effects of energy poverty within households, highlighting the impact on women in domestic settings. Nonetheless, women entrepreneurs engaged in productive activities are also pivotal in adopting new energy technologies. This second version of the dataset incorporates significant updates, presenting raw and processed data from 40 face-to-face interviews conducted across multiple African countries, now including Nigeria, which was previously excluded. The dataset focuses on micro and small-sized enterprises with at least one female owner, offering a more unified and comprehensive sample to assess energy access among women entrepreneurs in Africa and explore the potential for renewable energy adoption. The data collection through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews occurred between February and October 2024. The interviews followed a predetermined questionnaire designed to collect quantitative and qualitative data. A new notes section explains the main methods and references used in the dataset. Distinctions are also made between primary and secondary data for appliance power ratings, ensuring transparency in cases where secondary data supplements gaps. This version includes updated technical data, such as time-of-use information for appliances, enhancing the dataset's strength in providing technical insights. Key components of the dataset include: - Socio-economic factors: Enterprise location, ISIC division and industry sector classification, main production goods, gender-based ownership structures, enterprise formality (based on registration), year of establishment or business start, enterprise size (number of employees), profit margins, and business challenges related to the owner's gender. - Energy access characteristics: Type of energy carriers used, subapplications, energy supply shortages, energy consumption levels, type, number, power rating of appliances used, temperature requirements, time-of-use data, and energy expenditure. - Potential for renewable energy adoption: Type and amount of process waste, perceived barriers and drivers for renewable energy adoption, willingness to invest in new technologies, and preferred financing methods for such technologies. This updated dataset provides enhanced value for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to understand the energy access landscape for women entrepreneurs in Africa. It offers a robust foundation for developing targeted interventions that promote gender equity in energy access and encourage renewable energy adoption.
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Steps to reproduce
The dataset includes raw and processed data of both quantitative and qualitative types. We adopted a mixed-methods approach and followed a systematic, chronological methodology encompassing data reduction, display, transformation, and correlation. Firstly, raw data obtained directly from the interviews were reduced and displayed based on enterprise location, ISIC division, industry sector, and a breakdown of main production goods. We also extracted enterprise characteristics such as gender-based ownership structures, formal or informal business status, year of establishment or business start, size, and profit margin. Secondly, data transformation and correlation involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. We initially transformed energy access data into unified metrics across the sample, converting primary energy carriers into their final end-use form, using the lower heating value of fuels, fuel densities (where necessary), and appropriate equipment efficiencies. Energy costs were converted to United States dollars (USD) using average currency conversion factors based on monthly averages provided by the country's national banks or other reputable references for exchange rates. In instances where monthly energy consumption levels were not directly available and entrepreneurs only provided energy costs, we calculated monthly energy consumption levels using grid tariffs derived from the respective national regulatory authorities. For more details, kindly refer to the "Notes" tab in the Excel file. For qualitative data, including business challenges reported by female entrepreneurs related to their gender, barriers to and drivers for renewable energy adoption, and willingness to invest in renewable energy technologies, we conducted semantic analysis to identify common themes. These data were then coded to facilitate a deeper understanding of the recurring issues and opportunities of the women entrepreneurs from our sample.