For example, a large amount of patients in hospitals in underserved communities are there because of burns from flames used at home. Because fluorescent light is so expensive, many are forced to use candles and wick lamps that are unsafe. This affects especially the women and children who are around them the most. The ramifications of being without access to electricity are vast.
Another part of the reading that struck a chord with me was the point that it is essential for women to be included in decisions made about improving energy access, safety, and efficiency. Women are most affected by energy deprivation, and therefore should be involved in the process of its amelioration.
I was interested by the point (however obvious) that the more efficient stoves get, the worse they are in fulfilling space heat needs. This proves that solutions to energy poverty must not be centered solely around the environmental effects of the solution, but also the practicality and overall consequences of said solution.
Lastly, I had an "ahHA!" moment upon reading that "...women entrepreneurs operate in a policy vacuum..." (p.52) This is because many businesses run by women operate out of the home, and are therefore confused with household tasks. I think it is important to make the effort to include these businesswomen when evaluating and writing energy policy. These small businesses are essential for rural women's empowerment.
Fiona, I really like your insights about the disproportionate burden that energy poverty places on women in developing countries, as well as the need to support women entrepreneurs. I wonder if a policy that could support these businesswomen would be to educate them about small-scale business practices, in addition to the micro-finance that the report mentioned.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to think about what drives the costs of fluorescent lights ... we'll talk more about it, but the undue cost is less about the technology and more about how and when you have to pay. Good news, really, in that there are therefore solutions to the problem, though it's a real challenge. And the burden of poverty on women is really shocking, for energy, and in most other realms. How to address that burden, and keep them at the table, is an important consideration with no easy answers.
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