Energy Security and Women's Empowerment: A Generalized Method of Moments Approach from a Global Perspective

The importance of energy security is emphasized in Goal 7 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda to guarantee that everyone has affordable, dependable, and contemporary energy access. In addition to transforming human life, whole economies, and even the planet, sustainable energy offers a chance for a better future. The absence of energy security impacts serious health problems, education, and household difficulties. Research on energy security has emphasized various angles worldwide. However, investigations of the impact of energy security on women's empowerment are still scant. This study thus investigates the relationship between energy security and women's empowerment (WE) in 167 countries from 2002 to 2021, as well as the influence of urbanization development levels on this nexus. Moreover, this study explores the variation in women's empowerment between geographical regions by referencing the MENA, OECD, and SAARC countries. A two-step system GMM was used to achieve the objectives of this research. The findings show first that renewable energy availability has a significant effect on WE worldwide. Secondly, in terms of energy security, the variables total availability of natural resource rents and renewable energy both have a positive impact on women's empowerment in the MENA, while in the OECD and SAARC countries, they have an indirect link with WE. Third, the integrating effect of total natural resource rents with urbanization significantly affects WE in all five models. Fourth, we used access to electricity to represent resource affordability. Unexpectedly, the results show its negative and significant association with WE. Fifth, in terms of energy security, both energy availability and affordability favor WE in OECD countries. Finally, the coefficient of integration of access to electricity and urbanization shows a positive and significant association with WE in the OECD, MENA, and SAARC regions. However, it is noteworthy to mention that access to electricity alone does not influence WE worldwide. Additionally, a series of tests confirm the robustness of the results. This research provides insight into the development and implications of energy security-related women's empowerment policies.