The Nexus of Gendered Practices, Energy, and Space Use: A Comparison of Middle-Class Housing in Pakistan and Jordan

The nexus of gendered domestic practices, energy and space use remains under-researched in energy studies, particularly in the Global South. Our study addresses this gap by taking a gendered practice-theoretical approach to investigate women’s differential energy and space use in domestic practices. Through a qualitative comparative analysis of middleclass housing in Lahore, Pakistan and Amman, Jordan, we show that energy and space use are implicated in the gendering of domestic practices in different ways. The study highlights the limitations of current gender-neutral and gender-binary approaches in housing and energy and calls for greater socio-cultural understanding of gender relations and intersectional agencies for improved equity and sustainability.