| Brief summary / introduction |
This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The links between gender and poverty have been explored in many papers on livelihood strategy and development 'best practice'. However, few of them tackle an element of poverty that can occupy a quarter of the rural woman's time, affects her health, and is a key to developing her gender-strategic interests: energy. Although the presence of links between gender, poverty and energy have been hinted at in many studies, for example in DFID?s publication 'Energy for the Poor' (2002), there are few that tackle it head on. This paper has been commissioned by DFID to explore current thinking on the gender-energy-poverty nexus, in particular to review the key issues and highlight areas that need to be addressed, and to suggest actions and further studies that need to be undertaken in order to 'find the energy to address gender concerns'. It is hoped that this analysis and the recommendations that are drawn from it will be valuable to professionals working in the fields of gender and social development, not only within DFID and similar donor organisations, but also in other national institutions, NGOs and academic circles. |
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