This continues to be a strong area of focus for the Commonwealth Womens Network. This workshop will embrace item two of the Commonwealth Plan of Action, government action point, integrate gender issues in all national policies, plans and programmes. Nearly half of the people on our planet depend on wood fires to cook their meals. As deforestation spreads, families have more and more trouble being able to eat. United Nations studies predict that more than four out of every five people in Africa will be confronted with shortages of cooking fuel by the year 2000, conditions in Asia are not much better.
Shortages already affect more than one billion people.
In Kenya, government officials report that many urban families spend 25 to 50 percent of their incomes to meet the rising costs of scarce cooking fuel. As shortages spread, the tradition of collecting firewood becomes more oppressive. Women spend more time trekking over difficult terrain for miles under a heavy load of sticks. Injuries, scorpion stings, snakebites are common occurrences. The smoke from the worlds cooking fires pours over 6 million tons of carbon dioxide and other gasses into our atmosphere each year.