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Gender Energy and Human Freedom

in Nepal

Ishara Mahatishara.mahat@gmail.com

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Womens survival tasks with the exception of cookinghave been largely invisible in the energy literature:an electric pump that transports water uses energy,but a woman carrying water does not. A water mill

grinding grain falls within energy sector, but awoman doing the same task with mortar and pestledoes not. Trucks transporting crops are consumingfossil fuels, but women head loading crops walkoutside the energy balance (Cecelski, 1995, P. 365).

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Rural Energy Situation in Nepal

Types of Fuel used Qty. of fuel used

Firewood 78.14%

Agricultural by product 3.80%

Animal waste 5.77%

Total biomass used 87.71%

Use of electricity 1.82%

Use of petroleum 8.19%

Coal 1.76%

Renewables (biogas, solar and micro-hydro)

0.53%

WECS, 2006

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Traditional Energy Technologies

Traditional Stoves Dhiki

Traditional Water Mill Janto

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Alternative Energy Technologies

Improved Cooking Stoves Biogas Stove

Micro-HydroMill

Solar Photovoltaic System

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Poverty Situation in Nepal

42 % ofthe populationlive below povertyinNepal (UNDP, 2005)

Halfofthe populationlives inless than $1 perday

Poverty:rural phenomenon since 86% ofthepopulationreside in the ruralareas.

Feminizationofpovertydue to the genderdiscriminationinaccessing the resourcesopportunities, and the benefits.

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Poverty: beyond income

Isolation Vulner-ability

Poverty Physical

weakness

Power-

lessness

The deprivation trap

Poverty is deprivation of

basic capabilities, rather

than merely low income,

which can be reflected in

premature mortality,

significant

undernourishment

(especially of children),

persistent morbidity,

widespread illiteracy, and

other failures.

(Sen, 1999: 89)

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What is Energy Poverty?

absence ofsufficient choice inaccessing adequate,

affordable, reliable, quality, safe andenvironmentally benignenergy services to

support economicand humandevelopment

(UNDP, 2000)

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Relation between Energy and Poverty

Equity

Time

Health

Well being

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Human Freedom

Options andchoices available forhumanbeings toachieve the positive state oflifethat theyvalue (Sen, 1999)

Means and Ends toincrease the humancapabilities and thereby theirwell being

(Sen, 1992, 1999)

Preventionofmultiple deprivations toimprove the wellbeing (HDR, 1997)

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Why energy for human freedom?

Energyis one ofthe basicneeds forliving same

like waterandfoodandis consideredas basic

humanrights,

Biomass especially the firewoodas amajor

cooking fuelinruralareas ofNepal has a severe

impact onwomens workloadand theirhealth,

Energy povertycauses multiple deprivations that

restricts the humancapabilities and thereby their

well being.

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Conceptual Model

BiomassEnergy

Social

deprivation

EconomicdeprivationEcological

deprivation

Culturaldeprivation

Low

well being

and agency

freedom

Low

well being

freedom

Low well

being and

agency

freedom

Low well

being

freedom

HumanDevelopment

HumanDevelopmen

tHuman

Development

Human

Development

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Women carrying firewood from the forest

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Woman Carrying Fodder Grasses with her baby

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Woman Cooking Meal with Traditional Stoves

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Men Chatting in The Tea Shop

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Gender Roles in Household Energy Management(percentage of respondents)

Who cuts

down

Trees?

Who

collects fire

wood

Who stores

it?

Women 35 65 71

Men 44 5 3

Both 21 30 26

Total 100 100 100

PersonalObservation, 2008

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Problems in Collecting

Firewood

% of

Cases

Problems in Cooking

with Firewood

% of

Cases

Long distance towalk

Lackoffirewood (long timetocollect)

No time to go toforest

Risky (falling downfrom

trees, paying penalties)

Costly to buy

Other

86.2

48.3

34.5

34.5

15.5

13.8

More smoke

Dirty utensils

Dirty house

Hard to blow

Eye irritation

Long time tocook

High heat during summer

98.6

82.5

57.3

28.0

26.6

4.2

2.8

Problems in Collecting and Cooking withFirewood

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Health related problems

SelectedHealth problems in Two Villages

(Percentage ofCases)

Health Problems

Men Women

Eye problems

Lung disease

Asthma

Uterus Prolapsed

35

21

-

-

73.0

41.0

13.5

49.5

We are used to with smokes even though we feel eye irritation and headaches so

often, as we have no other options (personal Interview, 2008)

We never know that prolapsed uterus is caused by heavy workload, and we feelshy to express this problem (Personal interview. 2008).

Personal Observations, 2008

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Gender Analysis MatrixProject Objective:To provide efficient energy supplyand have integrateddevelopment

Notes:+indicates positive implications, - indicates negative implications

Labor Time Resources Culture

Women +less work for collectingfirewood and cleaning

dishes and houses

+Less work for milling

activities

+No need to use

kerosene light in every

room.

-More work for dung

and water collection

+More time forotherworkwhile cooking with

biogas

-Long time tocook

-More workwith electric

light

+less time incollecting

firewoodandmilling

activities

-High initialinvestment+Informationfrom

radios andTVs

+Less use offirewood

+Good habit ofusing toilet

-Initially people

hesitate to eat the

foodwith biogas

cooking because of

attached toilet

+Change attitude of

menandwomen

Men +Less workforcutting

trees

+less time incutting

trees

+More

knowledge and

information through TV

-Young boys

hanging aroundTVand

radios andreluctant to go

towork

+Change gambling

habit

Household +Saved womens labor

for other activities

+Saved womens time

for other activities

-High initial investment

+Possibility to increase

income

+less use of firewood,

and high use ofslurry

+Possibility for irrigation

-Decrease young labor

+Positive attitude of

menandwomenon

womens mobility,

sanitation, girls

schooling

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Major Findings

AETs are out of reach of the majority o f r uralhouseholds creating the large social and economicgap within a community,

AETs are only used as ends than the means forenabling women tobe involved in othersocial andeconomic activities,

Womens participation in village energy projectsis more in terms of labor contribution andcommunity mobilization, than in the realplanningand decision making process,

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Womens saved time and energy are lessvisible in absence of any socio-economicopportunities in villages,

Women have a little freedom to participate inany socio-economic activities due to theirheavy workload and health problems,

Women have less access to decision making

processes including the choice of fueltechnology, its repair and maintenance,

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Policy Implications

Biomass will be irreplaceable byrural households,

Noclearpolicyon biomass energyratherfocusing on

rural electrification,

Technologies are subsidydriven than the need based

ofrural households

Little associationmade between energyand human

development

Less integrationofenergy services with otherservices

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What Next?

Equityversus Efficiencyinlaunching AETs

Addressing cooking needs as amajorshare of

household energy,

Integrationofrural energywith otherdevelopmentactivities,

Gendersensitive rural energy plans and policies

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Strategies to increase better energy services

Integrate rural energy access into the process offormulation & implementationof nationaldevelopmentstrategies (NDS),

Strengthen capacity of local authorities to undertakeparticipatory planning (genderbased) & budgeting, energy

assessment andmanage deliveryofenergy services,

Develop capacity of local actors such as communities,NGOs, small-sized enterprises, andfinancialinstitutions toenable them torespond to the energyneeds ofpoor,

Ensure country-level coordination through discussionsamong development partners to help harmonize & bringalignment oftheirdevelopment assistance tonationalenergyaccess priorities as articulatedin NDS.

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Energy is not only mechanical power, but also

metabolic power, which mainly comes from

women in rural Nepal. Ignoring womens energy

does not reflect the real energy situation of ruralarea, where women perform exhaustive physical

tasks threatening their livelihood in managing

household energy system.

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Thank You