Gender, Energy and Environment Nexus in Female Farmers Household Energy Management in Gombe State, Nigeria

This study examined the role of female farmers in household energy management in Gombe State of Nigeria. The study demonstrates that gender roles are culture derived where fuel wood is primarily used as fuel for cooking and females were exclusively responsible for its collection. Females were equally responsible for taking decision among 62.2% in the cooking energy system. Therefore a key factor in moving up the energy ladder would be tackling the cultural barriers via the "location specific" approach. Constraints to efficient and effective rural energy management identified were declining access to energy sources that is worsened by inadequate access to education credit income time and contact with extension service. This is further segregated by the distinct roles played by male and female farmers in the total energy management system. To profoundly ameliorate the time and energy available to farmers for both productive and reproductive tasks extension professionals and policy makers alike should seriously consider in concrete terms policy initiatives projects design and implementation the multiple roles of female farmers and the responsibilities tasks expectations and constraints associated with such challenging roles. (authors)