Impact of the Renewable Energy Technologies on Women in Indigenous (Tribal) Communities and their Livelihood Activities Approtech Asia ENERGIA The Asian Alliance of Gender and Appropriate Technology Sustainable Energy Practitioners, Inc.

Gender and Energy Nexus in the Philippines  Phil. gov’t aims for rural electrification for all rural areas by 2006  Renewable Energy Bill-to enhance the support of renewable energy in the country  More than 100 micro-powered systems installed by the Department of Energy and NGOs for distant areas not reached by electrification project – case example: Micro- hydro project in Kalinga  Presence of RE impacts on women’s time allocation, and productive and reproductive roles

Gender and Energy Nexus in Kalinga  Kalinga is one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines  Differentiated roles of indigenous men and women especially in agricultural processes  Women’s role in energy use system-considerable Heat –intensive (food processing) Light intensive  Men’s role- labor intensive Firewood gathering  Presence of RE affected women’s household income Caselet on micro enterprise

Micro-hydro Project Objective Provide energy for the agricultural activities of the community such rice mill and sugar press as well as electricity for church, community health clinic, school and households

The Project - Tribal/indigenous upland communities of Tulgao, Kalinga - Community-based 33 kW microhydro-power system installed 5 years ago, serves 3 communities - Technology NGO, church, Japan finance, farmers association - Lighting, rice mills, sugarcane press - Church, school, health clinic electrified households: some small appliances and media in about 10% - Managed by Board and church pastor - Women in project management positions

Women’s and Men’s Roles in the Micro-hydro Project  Men and women share work, men doing heavy tasks.  Women: haul sand from river; fetch water; prepare food for workers; decision-making on operation and maintenance; administrative matters and payment collection  Key role of church and women in church

Impacts of community-based micro-hydro project on women and men in Kalinga  Women in energized communities increase their income, improve their livelihood activities and family well-being.  Presence of RE pointed out to direct economic benefit for men because of their predominant share in income generation.  Need to quantify economic benefits to see direct economic benefits for each gender

Lessons &Challenges: Analytical work  The first study on gender, energy and poverty to be conducted in the Philippines: learning, need more  Women in energized communities increase their income, improve their livelihood activities and family well-being, but the research did not study if this could be true also of men.

Lessons &Challenges: Analytical work  Project focused on descriptive analysis- need women’s perception  Multiple methods were useful: Questionnaires; FGD Gender Aspects: in-depth HH interviews, FGD, resource maps of HH  Data gathering is more effective when we partner with NGOs who have significant experience in penetrating grassroots level-example Approtech Asia partnered with SIBAT, etc.

Lessons learned: analytical framewok  Community or collective efforts-a need to significantly involve women in needs assessment and planning to incorporate women concerns  Future researches to develop instruments and methodologies to consciously address women participation, access and benefits derived for women only from such projects-(in this study-most benefits will be limited to men if the matter was not consciously taken to task)  Gender mainstreaming in policies on renewable resources- take into account development measures  More documentation and studies needed to understand impact of RE to empower women.

Lessons &Challenges: Policy dialog & institutions  Gender mainstreaming in policies on renewable resources- take into account development measures

Lessons: Project Planning  Relative gender equity in tribal society facilitates gender equity in benefits from energy project  Community or collective efforts - a need to significantly involve women in needs assessment and planning to incorporate women concerns  Implementation by organizations where women have important role (church) gives women a voice and role in choice of end uses

Challenges: Project planning  Few projects in Philippines consider gender- energy nexus  Women are not generally involved in every step of community energy project development cycle