Beyond numbers: Gender outcomes of RBF in clean cooking

The Higher Tier Cooking Component (HTCC) applies Results-Based Financing (RBF) to strengthen Cambodia’s clean cooking market, ensuring that rural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can expand distribution to underserved households. Operating in five provinces, the programme provides incentives covering 30% of the cost of e-cookstoves, and 50% for IDPoor households, enabling affordability while sustaining enterprise margins. More than 30,000 cookstoves have been sold to date, with women driving the change as both primary buyers and entrepreneurs, 54% of e-cooking businesses are female-led. Monitoring shows that women-led enterprises achieved stronger sales growth, increased confidence, and wider community visibility, while households reported time savings, improved convenience, and better livelihoods. This learning brief highlights how outcome-level changes, such as agency, decision-making, and health improvements, go far beyond counting devices sold, underscoring the need for RBF programmes to integrate gender and social inclusion indicators in their design and reporting. 

SNV in Cambodia. (2025). Beyond numbers: capturing gender outcomes of RBF in a clean cooking programme. SNV Learning Brief, Phnom Penh.

European Commission, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Danida, EnDev, and RVO. 

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