Amid war in Iran, cooking gas shortages pose health risks and financial burdens

A cooking fuel shortage in India and elsewhere may be taking a great toll on women and girls at home and at work.

In recent weeks, the war in Iran has placed a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, limiting the number of tankers that can pass through the vital waterway. The blockade has greatly reduced the amount of fossil fuels moving through the strait, resulting in a cooking gas shortage across Asian and African countries. 

Officials have reported a number of gas cylinder thefts amid the scarcity. Meanwhile, the burdens of the shortage may be disproportionately borne by women and girls, who are often responsible for cooking and care work.

"When fuel and other prices rise, social inequality increases, women and feminized people take on additional work, facing increased demands for unpaid care work and suffering the negative impacts on their access to fuel, food, transport, and housing," said Tara Povey, Gender Equality and Macroeconomics Project Joint Coordinator at the Bretton Woods Project. 

The organization, based in the United Kingdom, is a watchdog of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, while Povey is the co-author of the report "Fueling inequality: The gendered impacts of World Bank and IMF fuel subsidy removal." In her report, Povey examined the cultural complications that can arise when fuel access becomes less dependable. She responded to an inquiry from CG via email. 

For years, the Indian government has subsidized the purchase of liquefied petroleum gas — or LPG — to improve access among lower-income communities. The effort has been intended to increase safety and reliable access to an energy source that, while still a fossil fuel, can come with fewer health and environmental consequences than some other fuel types.

According to the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis at Ashoka University, six in 10 households prepare the majority of their food using LPG, which has become increasingly difficult to obtain as conflict in Iran continues. And as Grist recently reported, more than 2 billion people across Asia and Africa rely on LPG for cooking, a household responsibility often managed by women. 

"Women are forced to compensate for higher prices by eating fewer calories, taking on personal debt, moving to lower quality housing, using more dangerous transport, and carrying heavy loads over long distances to save money," Povey said.

In March, the BBC reported a spike in timber sales in some Indian regions as well as an increase in cow dung cake sales, both of which can serve as biomass fuels. There is also concern that people will turn to other alternatives, like burning trash and plastic waste. These options pose well-documented health risks.  

"Relying on inefficient types of traditional fuels, like kerosene, results in longer cooking times, increased physical labor for women and girls in the household, and increased risk of respiratory illness," said Povey, referring to her prior research on similar matters. 

Studies have shown that women and girls frequently "bear the heaviest costs" of cooking fuel shortages. Current conditions have also led consumers in many areas to panic-buy fuel and other resources to shore up supplies. 

Cooking gas shortages have also disrupted restaurants and hotels, with over 20% of hotels in Mumbai, India, ceasing operations at one point in March — a disruption that may be felt along gendered lines. 

"Women workers, particularly in back-of-house and support roles across small and mid-sized establishments, are likely to be more vulnerable in such situations, given their dependence on shift-based income," said Manpreet Singh, Honorary Treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, in response to a CG inquiry. The NRAI has issued guidelines to optimize fuel use and encourages business owners to consider alternatives, such as piped liquid gas.  

In some instances, the current crisis has inspired consumers to turn away from fossil fuels and look toward cleaner and "greener" solutions, such as electric induction stoves and solar ovens. Representatives from Ecosense Appliances, which manufactures biofuel stoves, told the Times of India that they'd sold 350 stoves in the past month, up from their usual five to 10. 

Some Indian tankers have been allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but the effect on the current cooking fuel shortage remains to be seen. For the restaurant industry and women working therein, the future remains unclear. 

"While there are early indications of easing in global supply conditions, including some stabilization in movement through the Strait of Hormuz, the situation remains uncertain," Singh said. "The impact is expected to persist in the near term, and it is difficult to define a clear timeline for full stabilization given the evolving nature of the situation."