Conflicting Views When I started writing this paper, I asked myself, is it worthwhile to link empowerment with rural energy technologies? John Friedmann (1992) defines empowerment as providing social, psychological and political power. Can rural energy technologies provide all these powers to rural women? I argued with myself, women are always disempowered with new technology, it is impossible!
... [Show full abstract] However, opposite view has gained my support over time. Rural energy technology has potential to save the metabolic energy and the time of women, which could be used for other productive activities that enable women to be socially, psychologically and politically empowered. In my view, energy is much more than mechanical power that is accessible through technology. Energy from compassionate point of view should be linked to the sensitivity of rural women, who expend their physical energy at the risk of their lives. Their livelihoods are threatened due to their heavy workload and deteriorating health conditions in the absence of good nutrition and health services. Women in Nepal have a lower life expectancy: 53 years as opposed to 55 years for men which contradicts a global trend (HDI, 1998). Background of Rural Energy in Nepal More than 80 percent people living in rural areas of Nepal depend on traditional fuel for fulfilling the household energy requirements, which are primarily managed by women. In addition, women are the ones who are primarily responsible for hulling and grinding activities with indigenous technologies. In rural mountain areas, women still wake up early around 4 AM to hull and grind grain and walk four to five hours to collect a bundle of firewood. In such circumstances, women's roles in managing household energy systems should not be underestimated. The table below presents the status of energy use in Nepal.
