A summary of ENERGIA commissioned regional reports, as well as national consultations in countries where there are significant linkages between dependence on biomass for energy, women's roles as energy suppliers, & poverty, especially in rural ar Title: WHERE ENERGY IS WOMEN'S BUSINESS: National and Regional Reports from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific
In many developing countries, especially in the poorest areas, most energy currently comes from traditional biomass fuels such as wood, charcoal and agricultural wastes - and collecting and managing these fuels is strictly 'women's business'. For close to two billion people in developing countries, traditional biomass fuels are the primary source of energy. In these countries, especially in Asia and Africa, cultural traditions make women responsible for gathering fuel and providing food, even when this involves long hours performing heavy physical labour that in other places might be taken on by men. Many women spend 13 to 16 hours every day fetching firewood, drawing water, working the land, grinding cereal crops, making meals and cleaning up, without pay, and without electricity or motorized equipment It is time for national energy and development policies to acknowledge these linkages between energy, women's work and national economic development. It is also time for greater attention to gender in energy investments and initiatives. The goal is not to remove women from the energy sector, but actually to involve them more, and in different ways, so that they can manage their energy supplies, their businesses and their lives more effectively and productively.
In preparation for discussions on energy and climate change at the 14th and 15th sessions of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, ENERGIA commissioned regional reports, as well as national consultations in countries where there are significant linkages between dependence on biomass for energy, women's roles as energy suppliers, and poverty, especially in rural areas. The national consultations included representatives from government ministries, academic and research institutes, non-government organisations, women's groups, and energy experts. They were held in 19 countries, 11 in Africa (Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and 8 in Asia (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam).
Access to sustainable modern energy sources as an alternative to traditional wood fires is critical for achievement of the internationally accepted Millennium Development Goals, since without energy people lack essential factors necessary for economic and social progress - health care, education, clean water and sanitation, and employment opportunities. Appropriate use of renewable energy sources is also critical for conservation of important forest and ecological resources on which communities rely.
One of the most important ways of reducing poverty and promoting national development is by involving women in productive economic activity rather than wasting so much of their time and effort securing basic fuels for survival.
In places where traditional biomass fuels are collected and managed primarily by women, these activities substantially increase women's physical burdens, damage their health, and take up time that could otherwise be spent on caring for their families, educating themselves and their children, and engaging in income-producing activities. Burning biomass fuels is also a major contributing factor in high sickness and mortality rates for women and children.
Energy policies and interventions that recognise women's roles in the energy sector and build on their expertise and influence will be much more effective in promoting sustainable economic and social progress. According to the Zambia national paper: "Poverty reduction can come from the energy sector by freeing up time for...women to engage in income generating activities [and] providing women with cleaner and more efficient energy sources to enhance their productivity." Because women's labour is not highly valued, however, and their social and political status is everywhere lower than that of men, there is inadequate attention paid to the impacts of energy policies on women.
Rather than viewing women merely as victims or potential beneficiaries of outside projects, it is more useful to consider how to create an enabling environment for economic development, and focus on creating better opportunities for women's business activities. If women can earn income using new types of energy equipment, they can then afford to pay for the equipment and the fuels required to operate it, and also make some profit for themselves and their families.
One critical step is for governments to include more women's representatives in discussions about national energy plans and policy formulation. According to the Nigeria national paper, "to devise development planning without participation of women is like using four fingers when you have ten."
Increasing opportunities for women to participate in energy decision-making is an important aspect of ENERGIA's work.
As described in the India national paper, the paradigm shift required is one that changes government thinking from a 'subsidy mindset' regarding women to one that promotes the development of new enterprises for women in the energy sector: "The role of women as energy providers can be transformed into suitable micro enterprises if they can manage fuel wood or oil seed plantations, dispense kerosene or LPG, assemble solar panels, build cook stoves and brick kilns, and even manage electricity distribution and bill collection."
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