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

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 (x = 3.47), causes cataracts and blindness (eye problem) (x =3.05), leads to respiratory diseases (x =2.97), causes injuries and falls from trees (x = 2.53) and could cause abortion (x =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.