Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in Clean Cooking Interventions

The transition to clean cooking is essential for reducing deforestation and the annual rate of 33,000 women and children in Tanzania who silently lose their lives because of smoke-related diseases from existing traditional cooking practices. Gender and social inequalities (based on gender identity, income, ethnicity, disability, and geographic location, amongst others) present a host of challenges for clean cooking energy services in Tanzania. In Tanzania, the term socially excluded groups is also defined as marginalized, disadvantaged, and poor people.   The socially excluded groups can be categorized as the rural and urban poor, women, youth, people of remote geographical areas, elders, people with disabilities, etc. Social exclusion is often the effect of a process of discrimination based on cultural and social identity. Such discrimination can generate powerful exclusionary processes such as deprivation, unemployment, illiteracy, missing opportunities, and contribution to poverty. 

According to the National Clean Cooking Strategy (2024 – 2034), it has been stipulated that there are insufficient efforts to integrate gender equality in the clean cooking value chain, which calls for initiatives to incorporate gender equality issues in the clean cooking value chain. The strategy emphasizes the need to encourage women and youth participation in the clean cooking value chain and incorporate gender equality in decision-making levels in clean cooking. There are several targets initiated in the strategy for facilitating the participation of women and youth in the clean cooking value chain including providing the budget by the government, leadership training for female decision-makers, etc.   Through different policy frameworks, Tanzania has created legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks that promote social inclusion. Policies such as the Women's Development Policy, National Youth Development Policy, Policy on Development of People with Disabilities, National Ageing Policy, etc have been developed and some improved.  Through these policies, the Government has improved economic opportunities and access to services for excluded groups promoted their political participation in society, and their capacity to organize and mobilize themselves. Although social inclusion is not detailed narrated in different policies and strategies, special attention is lightly given to the socially excluded groups.

Efforts towards promoting gender and social inclusion, started in the post-independent period during which the sense of national identity, unity, and cohesion among all Tanzanians was installed. During this time, the adherence to an established principle of social and economic liberation, which emphasized human dignity, equality of opportunities and freedom of individuals, peace and stability, detribalization, and the creation of a national consciousness, promoted social integration in Tanzania (Abdulaziz 1980). Specifically, efforts have continued to be directed towards including individuals and groups of people who have been wholly or partially excluded from participating in economic, political, and social life due to discrimination based on gender, HIV status, disability, age, poverty, unemployment, and job precariousness (Mwakibibi 2008). The main objective was to remove social exclusion caused by the major cause of poverty-related factors - such as generalized poverty, which leaves people excluded from goods and services; income inequality; unequal rural-urban development; unequal distribution of assets (land); unequal access to social services; and inadequate social protection strategies.

Promoting equal opportunities and equal access and control over clean cooking initiatives, social resources, and essential services for all Tanzanians is critical to their livelihoods.  Tanzania may also use a social protection framework that ensures that the needs and rights of the poor and women are adequately protected to address women and marginalized people denied from ability and rights to benefit from clean cooking initiatives.  Specific strategies for social inclusion of vulnerable groups include a major event shaping social exclusion is the reform projects which are encouraging society restructuring and redefining the role of the government in social provision and economic activities.

According to the clean cooking strategy, fuels and technologies used for cooking in the country include animal dung and plant residues, firewood, charcoal, kerosene, briquettes, bioethanol, LPG, natural gas, biogas, electricity, improved cookstoves, and solar energy cookstoves. According to the Cooking Energy Action Plan 2022, approximately 82 percent of the primary energy used in the country comes from biomass. For cooking purposes, it is estimated that around 90 percent of households in the country rely on wood and charcoal as their primary cooking energy, with wood accounting for 63.5 percent and charcoal for 26.2 percent of usage.  Fuels and technologies that emit low levels of toxicity are recognized to be clean. _ese energies and technologies include electricity, biogas, natural gas, LPG, bioethanol, solar energy, improved cookstoves, and briquettes with standards acceptable by the Standards Regulatory Authority.

The strategy goal is to GESI hold a prominent role in the clean energy transition process in the community. However, economic considerations appear as the main hindrance in achieving the clean cooking energy transition.   The vision of the clean cooking strategy is for every Tanzanian to use clean cooking solutions to protect their health, and environment, and improve their livelihoods.  The main objective is to ensure a transition of Tanzanians using clean cooking solutions from 10 to 80 percent by the year 2034.  The existing conditions for a clean cooking energy transition must ensure equal opportunities for women and marginalized people from various aspects such as participation, comfort, safety, cleanliness, practicality, affordability, health, and family welfare.

Some drawbacks should be solved for women and socially excluded people such as the budget limitations and access to clean cooking solutions that are still lacking especially for those who live in remote areas.   There is a need for a special clean cooking program that will support women and socially excluded people in the community to raise awareness and enhance the availability and capacity for producing and getting clean cooking solutions.  The segment of the population from socially excluded people could used to produce and supply clean cooking solutions to other people in the community.  This situation will enable them to create income for their families.  It is important to realize that transitioning to clean energy for cooking must be particularly attentive to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) aspects. 

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