Dr. Jeannette Spenlen, German National committee for UNIFEM
Energy plays a critical role in poverty reduction. Patterns of energy generation, distribution and utilisation directly affect opportunities for income generation, the situation of women, environmental protection and national development. Energy services are an essential engine for growth to enable developing countries to overcome poverty.
Energy is inextricably linked to all major development issues. Indeed, the ready availability and quality of affordable energy expands people's possibilities and capabilities, which is one way of defining human development. The links between energy and development have been recognised at major international forums throughout the 1990s.
It is important to recognise that women and men have different needs, interests, roles and differing degrees of access to energy resources and services. This is further differentiated among the rich and the poor, the rural and the urban populations. Energy policies, and indeed all development policies, must address these distinctions in order to be effective.
By tradition, women in Africa and most other developing areas are responsible for activities such as cooking and food processing that have high energy demands. Consequently, they shoulder much of the household energy burden, using their own labour for domestic tasks and for collecting needed fuel.
Because of the central caregiving role of women, improving women's access to new sources of energy can have a ripple effect, enhancing the lives of their families and communities as well. As these case studies clearly demonstrate, however, providing energy in useful, convenient and affordable forms is not a simple matter, especially in rural areas where extension of the electricity grid is not economical.
Meeting the energy needs of women calls for a shift in focus to the demand side of the energy system, to the end users of energy and energy services. The case studies presented here describe a number of decentralised solutions for providing access to energy services. Because the initial needs of rural households are relatively modest, they can benefit greatly from small-scale off-grid solutions.
3 Case studies will be presented:
Consultations with community women revealed that they needed energy - efficient equipment to improve working conditions, increase profits and reduce time and effort required for traditional post-harvest agricultural processing work. Initial projects involve the use of an improved press for shea butter production and a more efficient, less-polluting fish smoker.
A diesel engine mounted on a platform provides off-grid energy to rural villages for a variety of uses, including grinding, processing agricultural products, pumping water, charging batteries and running lights. Women's groups have been trained to operate and maintain the equipment and sell energy services to local customers.
The goal of the current project is to install 450 platforms, serving 10 per cent of Mali's rural population, of which at least two-thirds will be equipped with water and electricity distribution systems. Through these platforms it is expected that approximately 8,000 women in rural areas will have access to improved community services and opportunities for micro-enterprises. At least 10 manufactur-ers and 45 technicians from the private sector will be trained to handle all technical aspects of the platforms. Increased income generating activities are anticipated, including oil extraction, production of food pastes and shea butter (used for skin creams and chocolate), soap manufacturing, and extraction of jatropha oil.
In areas of wood scarcity, rural women participated in testing and evaluating stoves designed to use less firewood and also produce less smoke. After training, they were able to produce, install and market the stoves, and adapt them further to meet customer demands.
To address problems of deforestation and fuel shortages, women in a densely populated low-income area were trained to produce and market briquettes made from sawdust and waste paper. Location of the project near a commercial city proved to be important because of high demand for fuel to meet household and small business needs, and proximity to waste material suppliers.
In areas without grid-based electricity, commercially marketed solar photovoltaic systems supply much-needed electricity for homes, businesses, schools and clinics. An attempt to provide loans through local banks to cover initial purchase costs showed the need for more flexible and appropriate credit arrangements.
As the new democratic government in South Africa moved to establish more equitable energy priorities, a group of women energy experts and activists pushed for greater attention to women's needs. Despite frustrations, they were able to call national attention to women's energy concerns, and the current energy minister has introduced policies to address past inequities based on race and gender.