Gender Roles in Cooking Energy-Related Tasks among Rural Households in Oji-River Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed gender roles in cooking energy-related tasks in Oji-River Local Government
Area (LGA) of Enugu State, Nigeria Data were collected from a sample size of 180 respondents
in 6 communities using questionnaire. Percentage, mean score and standard deviation were used
for data analysis. Results of the study revealed that firewood (96.1%), palm fronds (83.9%) and
palm kernel shell (75.6%) and kerosene (83.3%) cooking energy sources were available in the
study area. Findings confirmed that rural women were exclusively responsible for cooking of
food (97.4%), child care (94.6%), energy sourcing/gathering (88.5%), carrying energy sources
home on their heads (86.2%) and fetching of water (85.1%) while the men were responsible for
cutting of tree branches/twigs (64.2%), farm work (56.3%) and sales/marketing of energy
sources (54.6%). Furthermore, the results demonstrated that procurement and consumption of
cooking energy sources leads to air pollution ( = 3.47), causes cataracts and blindness (eye
problem) ( =3.05), leads to respiratory diseases ( =2.97), causes injuries and falls from trees (
= 2.53) and could cause abortion ( =2.51).It is recommended that in order to reduce hardship
and health hazards associated with energy-related tasks rural, the respondents should be
encouraged to consider using cleaner cooking energy sources which lessen drudgery and
hardship and saves time involved in cooking and energy source procurement and utilization,
reduces air pollution, improves ventilation and women‟s health.