Once the smoke clears: how clean cookstoves can transform lives
Once the smoke clears: how clean cookstoves can transform lives
The reliance on solid fuels to cook makes preparing daily meals a dangerous activity for many women around the world
One of my favourite pastimes is making a meal with my family. The kitchen is typically a place of warmth and good memories, but what I’ve recently learned about kitchens in many countries around the world has moved me to take action.
As the world unites to celebrate International Women’s Day this week, I am thinking of the woman who risks her life through the simple act of cooking. In fact, preparing a meal for herself and her family can be one of the most dangerous activities that a woman does.
Alarmingly, nearly 3 billion people still rely on solid fuels to cook their food each day. When burned in open fires and inefficient cookstoves, fuels such as wood, coal, charcoal and animal waste create a toxic smoke that fills homes and communities the world over.