Advocacy-WEE-Nepal

Backdrop : In spite of being recognized as one of the main factors influencing development outcomes, a knowledge gap around Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) issues continue to affect the formulation of realistic and result oriented policies and programme in the energy sector in Nepal. Nonetheless, it is evident that development policies and programs are increasingly seeking to either promote direct interventions to support GESI outcomes through efforts to mainstream GESI issues by promoting GESI-sensitive policies and programs. It is heartening that commitment and endorsement of the GESI agenda is one of the prominent characteristics of the current development discourse in Nepal (ADB. 2018). It is not specific to Nepal but similar to other developing countries that women experience energy poverty differently and more severely than men (AEPC. 2013b, UNDP. 2010 ). It is evident, in social expectations in their day-to-day responsibilities, mainly in rural Nepal, in terms of hav

1.    Background The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 7 aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all and SDG 5 to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.   Though energy is recognized as central to progress in all areas of development, there are many factors that obstruct women and socially excluded groups to access energy sources and benefit from energy services. A principal factor is related to remoteness followed by the scattered settlements whereby consultations including decisions are made in market centers and thus excluding the marginalized groups including women. Another factor is related to social relationships and power hierarchies which siphons the energy benefit-sharing mechanism to favoring male and elite groups. The third one is linked with financial constraints as most of the women hold either none or very little economic assets. Though the government provides financial support through

Nepal is working to make all households free of indoor air pollution by 2022, a daunting task for the country which is highly dependent upon traditional biomass energy sources that include firewood, cattle dung, and agricultural residues. Various studies have projected alarming health impacts of indoor air pollution. Nearly  7,500 Nepalis die annually due to different diseases linked to indoor air pollution, like acute lower respiratory infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer (mainly due to coals), pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma and several cardiovascular disorders. The  Biomass Energy Strategy (2017) , which mentions that nearly 77 percent of the country’s energy is supplied by traditional biomass energy, has envisioned making the country air pollution-free by 2022 through promotion of clean cooking technologies. However, the country’s dependency on traditional biomass energy and fossil fuels has continued as ever before. As reported by the Financi