Guarantee of women's rights to energy, their increased access to energy and enhancement of their skill in energy sector would help promote environment, improve public health and make the country self-sufficient on energy, said participants of a program.
Participants of a capacity building training for women on renewable energy efficiency organised by the Nepal Energy Foundation and Women Network for Energy and Environment (WoNEE) stressed this. The daylong training was supported by Alternative Energy Promotion Center.
They were of the view that though kitchen work/cooking and collection of firewood in rural areas have become the indispensable role of almost all women and there is growing women's participation in the use of electric appliances mainly for household purposes, lack of knowledge on safe, proper and efficient utilization of cooking fuel and electric equipment have added multiple problems to their lives.
Lack of women's participation in policy and decision-making level regarding the area of energy should be addressed, they asserted.
Inaugurating the training held Thursday, Nijgadh Municipality deputy mayor Leeladevi Lamichhane said women and energy were interrelated, but the State had yet to realize this truth.
Nepal Energy Foundation's Director Dilli Ghimire presented a paper on 'Energy safety and civic right in energy', journalist Krishna Adhikari presented a working paper on 'Energy efficiency and renewable energy' and WoNEE's president Kala Timilsina presented a working paper on 'women and energy issues' on the occasion.
A total of 35 women from Nijgadh and Kolhawi municipalities were present in the program. The gathering also formed WoNEE two branches at the local level with the view to establishing women and energy issues to the local level.
