Rural Women’s Symbolic Adoption of Energy Conservation Equipment

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19553608

Meenu¹ and Yashpal Yadav² (Department of Resource Management and Consumer Science, I.C. College of Community Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana¹ and Department of Farm Machinary and Power Engineering, College of Technology and Engineering  Maharanapratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan²)

Energy-efficient technologies such as improved cook stoves, solar lights and low- consumption appliances play a crucial role in reducing energy use and promoting sustainable living in rural areas. Symbolic adoption refers to the initial willingness and intent to adopt such technologies. Rural women, who bear significant domestic and economic burdens, require appropriate tools to reduce drudgery and enhance their quality of life. The present study was carried out in the Hisar district of Haryana state with the particular objective of assessing the symbolic adoption of energy conservation equipment by rural women who were willing to acquire knowledge. Four villages (Ludas, Rawalwas Khurd, Siswal, & Neoli Kalan) adopted by College of Home Science under RAWE programme in the past years were selected purposively. From each village 25 rural women were selected purposively, a total of 100 respondents were selected. Symbolic adoption was assessed through asking questions regarding the willingness of respondents to adopt the energy conservation equipment after imparting the knowledge. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents (58.0%) were in the age group of 20-35 years and most were married (87.0%). More than half (58.0%) had nuclear families. About 27.0 percent of the respondents were educated up to 10+2 level. A majority were housewives (64.0 %), while 26.0 percent were engaged in farming. Equipment showing the highest symbolic adoption included pressure cookers, LED lights, CFLs and tube lights (mean score = 3.0), improved chulhas (2.82), solar bulbs and fans (2.52) and solar inverters (2.51). Despite high willingness, actual adoption after exposure remained low, only 7 respondents adopted LEDs, 5 CFLs, 4 tube lights, 6 improved chulhas, 4 pressure cookers and 2 solar bulbs. The results highlight the need for financial support, awareness campaigns and follow-up initiatives to convert symbolic intent into actual adoption and encourage rural women to adopt sustainable energy practices.