sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

36
The problem of unreliable services, especially electricity supply, tends to be most serious in
countries with a lower HDI. Where services for the non-poor population fall short, the coverage
difficulties are usually due to spatial distribution issues rather than lack of income.
Access to energy services and to cleaner energy sources varies a great deal by income quintile
and between urban and rural areas. In the absence of energy services, the only substitute for heat and
cooking purposes is the burning of fuelwood, which is associated with health problems and gender
inequalities among the poor, since fetching firewood for daily consumption is often the responsibility of
girls and women in rural areas. Figure I.10 shows that facilitating access to energy services in Mexico is
vital for reducing the hours of paid and unpaid domestic work required to access these services. .. Apart
from the environmental advantages it would bring, investment in expanding access to clean and
economical energy sources would free up time for women and girls to devote to other activities (such as
education, paid productive activities or leisure).
60
Figure I.10
MEXICO: WORK TIME IN POPULATION AGED 15 YEARS AND OVER
BY SEX AND FUEL MOST USED FOR COOKING, <strong>20</strong>09
(Hours per week)
50
40
30
40
53
49 49
42
52
48
37
48
44
34
46
40 40 40
35
48
46
33
46
40
<strong>20</strong>
10
15
18
17
16
13 13
16
0
Coal
Electric power
Gas tank or cylinder
Natural or piped gas
Fuelwood
Other fuel
Total
Coal
Electric power
Gas tank or cylinder
Natural or piped gas
Fuelwood
Other fuel
Total
Men
Women
Paid work
Domestic work
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of the
National Time Use Survey, <strong>20</strong>09 of Mexico. on the basis of information provided by National Institute of Statistics,
Geography and Informatics (INEGI) and National Women’s Institute (INMUJERES).
The poor consume less energy than other social strata (see table I.2), but spend a higher
proportion of their income on energy and often pay more per heat equivalent unit, basically because of
difficulties in accessing services through electricity or natural gas distribution networks. Where they pay
less, it is usually because they use firewood as a basic fuel. In some areas clandestine connections play a
significant role.