Pattanayak joins NOVAFRICA Sustainable Development Talks for episode on energy access and women empowerment

Subhrendu Pattanayak, the Oak Foundation Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Energy Policy, was a guest on the NOVAFRICA Sustainable Development Talks podcast to discuss his research on the links between energy access, gender and empowerment, focusing on how simple, low-cost interventions can influence women’s aspirations, agency and everyday decision-making in rural Myanmar.
 
The episode, “Electrifying Empowerment: Women and Energy Access,” explores how psychological and structural barriers interact, showing that while mindset-focused interventions can spark meaningful changes in behavior and ambitions, their impact is strongest when combined with improved access to infrastructure such as electricity.

Pattanayak shares insights from a research study he co-authored with Ferran Vega-Carol, a PhD candidate at Duke University; Zin Nwe with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA); and Mani Nepal with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 

Access NOVAFRICA Sustainable Development Talks Season 8 Episode 4 (March 27, 2026)