Gender issues in energy policy and planning: perspectives from the Dakar workshop

Abstract

This article offers an overview of an international workshop held in Senegal in 1994 on women's effective participation in energy decision making. The workshops aimed to exchange information on gender issues in energy policy analysis, to provide a study of research issues, to advance new research, and to create an informal network of institutions and people. Discussions occurred in working groups on women and global energy policy, women and health, women and energy pricing, and research on woodfuel and women. The article by Elizabeth Cecelski on "Women, Energy, and the Environment" provided background information for all working groups. The author states that energy decisions are a crucial and ignored part of sustainable development. Energy production that degrades the environment slows development. Most funding is directed to large-scale, centralized technologies that benefit few and may have devastating environmental and health consequences. Women are rarely credited with inventiveness in developing energy strategies. Energy policy makers at the workshop expressed a variety of views, often conflicting ones. A repeated theme was that effort must be made to ensure that women's knowledge, needs, and priorities are included in energy policy analysis. Women's roles as energy producers and managers need to be documented. Research is needed on energy conservation, renewable energy, and energy planning. Workshop participants recommended 1) a review of existing regional mechanisms for energy policy; 2) development of a people-benefit criterion for energy policy making; 3) movement away from the "stove mentality;" 4) documentation of successful energy technology interventions; and 5) involvement of women in regional educational science and technology institutions. Participants agreed that gender constraints were the lack of consultation with women, targeting of women in projects, information and training, and education