Rural women and the health risks associated with wood fuel consumption in rural Nigeria: implications for sustainable development in the third World

Abstract

In developing countries and more importantly in sub-Saharan Africa, majority of the people lack access to sustainable and modern energy supply. Many families in rural areas and poor city inhabitants now depend on wood and charcoal for their basic energy needs. Unfortunately, women and children are the victims of the health effects of wood fuel consumption. Therefore, this research focused on the attitude of rural women towards the health risks associated with the use of wood fuel and its implications for sustainable development. The study was conducted in Iwo community in southwest Nigeria and the results presented are based on primary data collected from a random sample of 150 rural women selected from the community through the aid of structured questionnaires. The result showed that education, family size and level of monthly income indicate significant relationship with the type of domestic fuel used by respondents. The result also revealed that majority (54%) of the rural women claimed to be aware of the detrimental effects of cooking with wood fuel, although they are unaware of its far reaching effects. The study concludes that there is need to encourage and assist rural women by improving their standard of living, in order to reduce their dependency on wood energy and to achieve effective participation in rural and sustainable development activities.