WOMEN BURDEN WALKING LONG DISTANCE FOR FIRE WOOD COLLECTING

In both rural and urban areas in Tanzania wood-based energy consumption is estimated to account for about 92% of total energy consumed in the country. This with other uses cause the over exploitation of forests, hence women get to walk very long distance for fire wood collection, as forests around communities are degraded, women must go for fuel wood far from their home. In some places, women must camp overnight in the bush.
The Environmental degradation increases women time burden in firewood finding even longer when they live in a degraded environment. More time women and girls spend every day collecting firewood, the less time they use to improve their lives and participating in other activities .As time goes collection times of fuel wood are rising as locally available firewood becomes increasingly scarce.
Even though in most areas the fuel wood availability is important yet the weight of firewood time burden falls under women because they tend to be responsible for more household tasks. Once they fail to cook for their families due to firewood problems their husband asks them why they did not prepared the meal without considering the distance where fire wood are found.
Women must be supporting them through providing efficient energy sources like the use of wind power, wave, electricity, biogas, this will reduce the demand of fuelwood and hence the women burden will be reduced.

Women need increased acces to affordable eficient energy sources as high costs and limited availability of efficient energy sources can minimize women burden as they will be using those other energy sources rather than depending on fuelwood for 100%.

The use of fuel efficiency stoves which minimizes the use of firewood fuel these must be encouraged as reduces the rate of fuel wood consumption hence reduces women burden and avoid more deforestation.

Environment must be conserved and areas with trees will not be degraded and encouraging plating trees nearby living areas which can be used for firewood.Now women will be getting firewood near thier living places.

What is most important women must be involved in decision making their opinions must be taken into consideration.Men must insure that they are helping their wives so that this burden will be reduced and women will get more time to spend looking for their kids and improving their lives.

Joyneth Mbogo
joymbogo@yahoo.com
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