The place of women in the integration of biodigester technology as an alternative

The energy transition at the household level concerns everyone, but women are the main ones affected. More than 80% of energy sources used in Guinean households come from biomass. Aïssatou Billy Sow, energy consultant and environmentalist, advocates for women.

Biomass constitutes an important source of energy in Guinea, whether for cooking, smoking fish, extracting salt, making charcoal and making red bricks (based on the earth), wood remains essential and women are generally responsible for collecting it and even carrying it out. This causes enormous hardship for them and gives rise to harmful consequences on their health and the environment due to the deforestation they cause.

By introducing the biodigester as an ecological alternative, it helps reduce women's dependence on wood and charcoal, saves their time and improves their well-being. For Aïssatou Billy Sow, women “must be involved from the start” in the management and implementation of a project of this type such as the biodigester.

When she was at the Conakry-Rogbanè Scientific Research Center (CERESCOR) in 1997, she received funding for the construction of two biodigesters in the Kindia prefecture, precisely in Tambama. These installations enabled the lighting of a certain number of households and the installation of four stoves for the kitchen. “I remember at that time women were very happy with gas because they could use it to cook. According to them, this gas saves them from smoke which constitutes a great danger for their health, it also allows them to reduce the difficulty of cooking because they no longer have to look for wood and then they had a better quality of hygiene, there was less dirt around them., she remembers.

The involvement of women is essential for the successful operation of a biodigester. Throughout the entire chain of operation of this system, women remain omnipresent. “You are probably aware that in our culture the question of water is generally women who manage it. And when you have a biodigester you need water. Women also manage cow dung.  This aspect of using cow dung is undeniable”. She emphasizes.

For a long time interested in finding solutions to ecological energy issues, today she advocates for women in project management of this type, particularly at the household level. “If women are not involved, the project cannot succeed, unfortunately this is not the trend in our countries, as soon as we talk about financing, and when it comes to managing the funds, it is the men who manage” she regrets.

The biogas obtained from the biodigester offers several advantages, including preservation of the environment and an economic aspect particularly for women, “When they use biogas, they do not need to buy coal, we know today that coal is excessively expensive, the price has gone from 35,000 GNF per bag to 45,000, 50,000 GNF”, she adds.

It constitutes an empowerment tool for housekeepers in rural areas. The effluent from the biodigester, rich in fertilizer, constitutes a source of income for women. “If at the household level people manage to produce enough, it’s a huge source of income. The tributary and the compost which are organic fertilizers can be sold, they are sources of income for households.”, explains Soulemane Bambara, expert in biodigester technology.

Biodigester technology, beyond being a tool for the development of women, also meets a need with a social dimension, given that women and children are the most vulnerable when there is conflict. For the record, during the execution of the project led by Aïssatou Billy Sow in Tambama, it enabled understanding and cohesion between farmers and breeders who often live together under great tension. “There was in particular a village of farmers, it was this village which benefited much more from the cow dung which was produced in Tambama, and so when we raised awareness, we brought them to come and visit the biodigester, we explained to them the advantages of the fertilizer which is obtained from the production of biogas for agriculture, and straight away, they reacted well, they said, but in this case, what you are doing there can help us help to get along with our breeder friends. But if they can give us fertilizer for our fields, we too can let their animals wander onto our land after the growing season.", she remembers.

Access to biodigesters meets several needs, including reducing the consumption of wood as a source of energy and guaranteeing a better living condition for women as well as their development in rural areas.

Ibrahima Sory Bah and Fanta Barry

This report is produced as part of the Terra Africa Project led by CFI Media.