Raw and processed data from face-to-face interviews in women-owned enterprises: Productive use in 40 enterprises across multiple African countries

The current body of research on the gender-energy nexus has largely concentrated on the effects of energy poverty within households, highlighting the impact on women in domestic settings. Nonetheless, women entrepreneurs engaged in productive activities are also pivotal in adopting new energy technologies. The second version was built on the first version of the dataset and incorporated significant updates, presenting raw and processed data from 40 face-to-face interviews conducted across multiple African countries, including Nigeria, which was previously excluded. The current Version 3 includes additional data cleaning, improved consistency checks, and is the most updated and reliable version for reference or analysis compared to previous versions.

The dataset focuses on micro and small-sized enterprises with at least one female owner, offering a unified and comprehensive sample to assess energy access among women entrepreneurs in Africa and explore the potential for renewable energy adoption.

The data collection through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews occurred between February and October 2024. The interviews followed a predetermined semi-structured questionnaire designed to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The notes section explains the main methods and references used in the dataset. Distinctions are also made between primary and secondary data for appliance power ratings, ensuring transparency in cases where secondary data supplements gaps. This version (as did Version 2) includes updated technical data, such as time-of-use information for appliances, enhancing the dataset's strength in providing technical insights.

Key components of the dataset include:
- Socio-economic characteristics: Enterprise location, ISIC division and industry sector classification, main production goods, gender-based ownership structures, enterprise formality (based on registration), year of establishment or business start, enterprise size (number of employees), profit margins, and business challenges related to the owner's gender.
- Energy access and use: Type of energy carriers used, subapplications, energy supply shortages, energy consumption levels, type, number, power rating of appliances used, temperature requirements, time-of-use data, and energy expenditure.
- Potential for renewable energy adoption: Type and amount of process waste, perceived barriers and drivers for renewable energy adoption, willingness to invest in or pay for new technologies, and preferred financing methods for such technologies.