WOMEN and ENERGY

Prasanta Biswal

SELCO India

Biomass fuels are still the main source of energy used across the globe, especially in rural areas. The fuels are mainly applied in traditional stoves posing various health hazards. A WHO report says some three billion people worldwide burn traditional biomass (wood, dung, crop residues etc.) and coal for home cooking and heating. The number of people using these fuels are expected to rise substantially by 2020. This wide spread use results in the premature deaths of an estimated 1.6 million people each year from breathing elevated levels of indoor smoke, with women and children being the most significantly affected.

Indoor air pollution from household energy ranks as the fourth leading health risk in poor developing countries. Breathing elevated levels of indoor smoke from home cooking and heating practices more than doubles a child’s risk of serious respiratory infection and may also be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Fuel collection a task mostly burdened to women and girl children is an equally hazardous task. Fuel wood collection is also known to cause other serious consequences such as physical abuse to female of any age and accidents etc. It is often said, that the real rural energy crisis, is a rural women’s time. Rural women as the main provider of household energy, often have to commit long hours to collect fuel. Women work longer than men in providing human energy for survival activities such as fuel collection cum transportation, cooking and food processing. Condition is worse whenever and wherever there is fuel scarcity, as women will have to work longer hours, walk longer distance; therefore they have to spend a lot more energy. The extent to which the crisis affects the population should also be considered; FAO estimates the proportion of rural women affected by fuel wood scarcity, range from 60% in Africa to nearly 80% in Asia and nearly 40% in Latin America.

Economic opportunities of many rural women and survival of rural families are also dependent upon the sustainable supply of biomass energy. Women are also often involved in the informal sector such as small scale or cottage industries; these economic enterprises being often critical to many families economic survival.

The problem has been taken seriously by various Governments and organisations across the world since a long time but still the result is not satisfactory. When “Magan Chulo” was promoted in India during 1940`s, Dr. Raju clearly indicated this when he wrote “you are working for the emancipation of women. Don’t forget the millions of your sisters in the bondage of criminally unhygienic kitchens”. Since then there are various Improved Cook Stove programmes are being implemented across the globe.

The benefits of the improved cook stove programmes are expected to give some relax to the women in terms of reduced cooking and fuel collection time which could mean that women and/or men have more time for other activities; reduced risks associated with fuel collection, indoor air pollution and ultimately providing a space to breathe clean air in their home.

India currently bears the largest number of IAP-related health problems in the world. An estimated 500,000 women and children die in India each year due to IAP-related causes. This accounts for 25% of estimated IAP-related deaths worldwide.

In response to these challenges, founding governments and organisations launched the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air (PCIA) at the world summit for sustainable Development in Johannesburg in September 2002. Till now there are more than 150 organisations worldwide has joined the partnership for clean indoor air and are contributing their resources and expertise to improve health, livelihood and quality of life by reducing exposure to indoor air pollution, primarily among women and children from household energy use.

The 3rd biennial partnership for clean indoor air forum has been organized at Bangalore from 20th to 23rd March 2007. Large number of Govt. and Non Govt. organisations from 24 countries have participated in this forum and discussed about new technologies, approach, success stories, experiences and approach for reducing indoor air pollution. The forum was addressed by the inaugural panel including director of Shell Foundation Mr.Kurt Hoffman and Deputy Assistant Administrator of USEPA (United states Environment protection agency) Mr.John Beale. Both of them insisted commitment from people across the globe towards making this effort successful and sustainable. The forum decided the future goals, strategies and activities for the next 3 years. The forum is basically acting as the coordinator among the partners to globalize the success.

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