Breaking a myth

Solar energy is expensive and impossible to sustain in a large scale. Considering the many global initiatives that have been put into place and their come backs, this statement seems to be rather accurate. Nonetheless, I am open to hear otherwise. Arguments on my side are based on less oil-dependency and the better use of natural resources, and to make it affordable for the most. The latter, however, is the greatest criticism that solar energy has to overcome. Not long ago, journalists from the BBC did a special report on the subject showing the skepticism in the sector within the UK. If solar projects are not working in the developed world, what can we expect to happen in those most vulnerable areas?

Barefoot College happens to disagree with my initial sentence. Solar energy is feasible and is been implemented by many in rural areas since 1989.  Established in India in 1972, the College has trained more than 15 000 women in diverse jobs; solar engineering, been one of them. “Traditionally, women in Indian villages do more than 70% of the domestic and agricultural work. They are responsible for sowing and reaping, fetching water, taking care of children and livestock, cooking, washing and cleaning the house etc. However, their inputs are not regarded as ‘proper’ work. Women are still considered to be the weaker sex, incapable of doing hard physical labor. Barefoot College has endeavored to break such stereotypical notions by training rural women in ‘technically challenging’ jobs that have traditionally been considered for men. Unlike the chauvinistic and patriarchal society, the College recognizes and harnesses the tensile strength, determination and graceful dexterity that rural women already posses (…)”-says the College’s site.

A solar engineer at work (Credit: Barefoot website)

Challenged by such declaration, I decided to do some research and find out more about their initiative.

Women are being empowered

“I am not literate but I am still earning around 100US$ a month by constructing these panels and I can send my kids to school”, says one of the local students in an Aljazera’s report. Several studies have shown that women’s increasing economic power affects positively not only their families but their communities. From what I have read, the College makes a strong case on this. The approach is to encourage communities to grant this opportunity to middle-aged women, such as those who are widows and single mothers with families, bringing a unique prospect for those who never held a job before or probably never foresaw one in their future. Also, I found quite inspiring the formation that they are providing. By agreement, between the particular village leaders and the College, the students who graduate from the program are meant to work with their community for at least five-year period, giving access to the units produced, installation and maintenance. One of the usual concerns with development projects is about their aftermaths. We know that is not enough to implement something, there has to be engagement and follow up. This is why this program is so attractive to me, it just works for the whole cycle.

Light after dark

"Snakes, rodents, reptiles and biting insects crept and crawled into our homes with the dark at 7pm. Children couldn't study, and we couldn't relax, socialize or plan our lives after a long day's work," says Fatmata Koroma from Mambioma village, Sierra Leone. This program really made a difference to them. According the College website, only villages that are inaccessible, remote, or non-electrified are considered for solar electrification. Thus, this initiative would not replace other types of energy supplies, if there are any.

One of the difficulties of traditional electricity supply anywhere in the globe is the infrastructure (click to access the map). It is on the agenda of developing countries but it is complicated to setup and do regular maintenance. Instead of waiting for solutions that may take too long to come, villagers immerse in this program take charge of the situation by selecting members from their communities who would follow the program, subscribe to the agreement and build the units and eco-buildings. Also, it must be said that the program is run by the community and its costs are managed by them. This is not charity but a sustainable and dignifying project.

In Jordan, the senior advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Dabbas says: “Providing this green technology to the rural community, whilst it will not have a major impact on reducing climate change, it will have a profound impact on the socio-economic position of the Bedouins and it will help improve their standard of living.”

Off, we go!

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) supports a similar program in Mali which, according to their estimations, affects about 30 000 people. Though, I do not have access to the details of the program, I understand that the leaders of the sub-projects are women. They are earning money for their families, learning new skills and re-investing in their villages. This shows us the relevance of the project and the important role that women play in this industry. While the energy sector has been predominately a male domain, this new bridge might flip the pendulum towards women. 

After reading this post, do you still consider that solar energy is impossible or unpractical in the developing world? I have been proven wrong and I am looking forward to see it expand even more. 

Katherine R. Vasquez Tarazona

Women and Food Security

Katherine R. Vasquez Tarazona

I often hear that the world is just beginning to grasp the real role that women play in the [local and global] economy. The fact that we contribute both as consumers and providers seems obvious to me, yet not everyone has acknowledged their part in the market. Nowadays, more and more women are entering the labor force, increasing production numbers but also affecting households’ living standards. Nonetheless, we still see that wage disparities persist around the globe. 

When reading about development programs, we frequently find an ongoing discussion on gender advance. Some may question the relevance of spending resources on women’s economic power. To others, this is very clear. Research is showing that by enhancing it a positive affectation on the collective is more likely to occur, and international actors are shifting to focus more on designing efforts based on evidence of impact. 

Recently, there has been great debate on the American and European crises and their capacity on foreign aid. USAID has suffered an extreme reduction on its budget (even, current candidates are suggesting a zero aid campaign for the future of the country). A similar situation has appeared at some European countries, and the argument of effective aid has risen once again. Among all that literature, I came across the interesting subject of food security and the part that women take on it. 

One of the many faces of foreign assistance is humanitarian aid which includes natural disaster and man-made disaster alleviation. Food security has generated concern in the international community, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (Somalia, being one of the most affected). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “women produce between 60 and 80% of the food in most developing countries and are responsible for half of the world’s food production.” However, they have more difficulties than men accessing resources, such as land or credit. 

More than two decades ago, Muhammad Yunus started his micro lending program in India. For those who are not familiar with his initiative, the Grameen Bank’s objective is to promote financial independence among the most vulnerable, offering credit to people that usually have been neglected by the financial system. Thus, Grameen has reached illiterate and unemployed people, among many others; creating access to credit on reasonable terms and enabling them to build on their skills to earn a better income in each cycle of loans. 

One of Grameen’s more significant features is that the majority of borrowers are women (97+ %). Yunus recognized that women acted differently from men regarding money, in the context described earlier. According to him, “Women are very cautious with the use of the money, but the men were impatient; they wanted to enjoy right away. (…) But women didn't look at it personally. Women looked at it for the children, for the family and the so on, and for future.”

According to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), “studies show that (…) when women farmers have the opportunity to earn and control income, they are more likely to focus their spending on their children’s nutrition, education and health. Women also are integral to alleviating hunger and malnutrition because they are primarily responsible for ensuring that food for their families is reliably available, accessible and nutritionally balanced.”

Great efforts are been met world-wide in order to attack the problem of land accessibility and property. In many countries, women struggle with the lack of resources existing for them and the discrimination of their work. Women have confirmed to be as successful as men working the land and finances; many have proved their way in the entrepreneurial world; most of them secure their family health and own improvement. Still, they find themselves somehow trapped by inequality and restrictions. 

In addition to these efforts and recognitions, I wonder if we could do more. In 2010, the United Nations implemented the “women-only food coupons” in order to assure that supplies really reached families in need, as a consequence of the earthquake in Haiti. Women are main players in the economy, not just as consumers and providers. They have a strong impact on families and communities development. They have been acknowledged as key actors for ensuring progress. Then, why are we falling so behind –in facto- from achieving structural changes on gender equality, respect and non-discrimination policies?