Energy and gender issues in rural sustainable development

by Yianna Lambrou
and Grazia Piana
Gender and Development Service
Gender and Population Division

It is FAO’s view that increased access to energy sources in rural areas and the development of new bioenergy sources can contribute to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals relating to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, improvements in health, education, and environmental sustainability, as well as gender equality and the empowerment of women. A focus on gender issues is particularly important in this context since many of the world’s poorest people are women living in rural areas in developing countries who are currently dependent on subsistence agriculture to feed their families, and who are disproportionately affected by the lack of modern fuels and power sources for farming, household maintenance and productive enterprises.

This paper discusses some gender issues and energy linkages within the international sustainable development context and presents recommendations on ways of incorporating gender sensitivity into energy and development policies and planning processes. It is FAO’s hope that this will promote a wider understanding of the importance of recognising gender differences in decision-making on energy and rural development, and stimulate new attention to the challenges identified here.

Click here to view the document (pdf format) .