From firewood to freedom: Clean cooking as a catalyst for gender equality and development
In many homes across the globe particularly in Africa, the simple act of preparing a meal comes at a heavy price. Traditional cooking methods, which often rely on open fires and inefficient stoves fueled by firewood or charcoal, emit harmful smoke that endangers the health, depletes natural resources, and contributes negatively to climate change. These practices disproportionately affect women and girls, who bear the brunt of household cooking duties, sacrificing their time, health, and economic opportunities just to put a meal on the table for the family. Clean cooking technologies offer a promising solution not only to a healthier environment but also a path to gender equality, economic empowerment, and sustainable development. With over 2.4 billion people globally still lacking access to clean cooking solutions, achieving universal adoption is both a challenge and an opportunity to address interconnected global goals, including health, climate resilience, and poverty reduction...