Agriculture, electrification and gendered time use in rural Bangladesh

We study the linkages between local rural 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 increased ownership of appliances such as fans, refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones, as well as greater use of electric pumps for irrigation. Electrification is also linked to higher employment of female household members in farm operations and greater involvement in decision-making related to agricultural activities and household expenditures. These findings suggest that in farming communities, agriculture may play a critical role in the linkages between rural household electrification, women’s workforce participation, and household bargaining power. • Electrification increased male non-farm participation and female farm participation. • In electrified households, women reallocate time away from domestic chores toward farming and leisure. • Electrified households use electric pumps for irrigation and more female family labor. • Electrification increases women’s decision-making in farming activities.