GENDER AND RENEWABLE ENERGY - POLICY, ANALYSIS, AND MARKET IMPLICATIONS

Women are the main producers of energy in developing countries and hou seholds are the main user of energy. Because gender roles and traditio ns have been largely ignored in energy, the global potential for renew able energy has been negatively affected. However, microcredit lending could fund sustainable development technology. This paper argues that renewable energy, gender roles, and microfinancing should be inherent pans of sustainable economic development programs. The relevant activ ities of pertinent development organizations and potential synergies a re briefly described, the plans of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory to explore the gender issue are summarized, and the evoluti on of gender and energy as a field is addressed. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.