– Through charcoal production in Nimba
BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — Rural women in charcoal business say their involvement into charcoal production is due to poverty and a lack of possible alternative livelihood options. From production to transportion, wholesale and retail— their involvement play a vital role in sustaining rural livelihoods, especially in times of financial constraints.
Speaking to reporters at the ground of the Sanniquellie Public Market on Saturday, the women highlighted how they performed most of their parental responsibilities than their husbands. In a deeply rooted truth as mothers, women carry a heavier childcare burden than men.
Josephine Dogbah, age 30, and several other young women engaged in charcoal production and trade explained the crisis of high cost of living, thus pushing them to the charcoal industry so as to enable them sustain their kids and siblings. The women shared their experiences in the traditionally male-dominated industry in Boapea, and Soepea Towns, including several areas across Nimba County.
According to them, as women who are involved in production and trade, they do it all by themselves from the processing to production stage without help from anyone. While anyone visiting a charcoal market would be able to witness a good number of women working as traders and retailers, discussions conducted in the charcoal-producing areas of Liberia reveal that it has also become increasingly common for women to engage in stages of production.
This includes everything from packaging charcoal to even felling and cutting trees.
The increased involvement of women is attributed to the majority of males reported abandoning their parental duties as well as a perceived increase in poverty in rural areas. The women viewed charcoal production and trade as viable business opportunities with low entry barriers. They further stated that they feel pushed into charcoal production due to poverty and a lack of viable alternative livelihood options.
Despite the viability of charcoal, these women still view farming, not charcoal production, as their primary source of livelihood. When asked about how income from charcoal is spent, most respondents mention various one-off expenses, such as school fees payment for children and sustainability.
Others, particularly widowed emphasized the income security that charcoal can provide when crops fail.
Charcoal income thus plays an important complementary – rather than competing – role with other income sources. While more women are getting involved in charcoal production and trade, their level of involvement is often differentiated by status.
Unmarried and widowed women are involved throughout the production cycle, while most of them say they generally play a supportive role to their husbands, sticking to activities perceived as ‘more suitable for women’.
These kinds of jobs include packaging and selling charcoal, which are perceived as less physically demanding and easier to combine with childcare and other reproductive responsibilities. Of the number of women involved in the production, many reported their husband’s illness or alcohol abuse as the reason for their engagement.
CHANGING NORMS?
Should women’s entry into a traditionally male-dominated field be seen as a sign of changing gender norms? While most women report feeling pushed into charcoal production due to poverty, many are also proud to show that they can do what men do.
Many women also say that their involvement in charcoal production and trade has gained them more equal control over income. However, while most men report a general acceptance of women’s involvement in charcoal production due to the dire economic circumstances, they are not always happy about it.
While charcoal production and trade offer women higher incomes, greater autonomy, and a sense of pride, many women are also paying a high social price for upsetting a patriarchal system – this despite the fact that both women and men view women’s increased involvement primarily as an inevitable result of poverty.
EVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
The charcoal business in Liberia has significant environmental consequences, primarily contributing to deforestation and forest degradation. As demand for charcoal increases, large areas of forest are cleared to harvest the wood needed for production, leading to loss of biodiversity and disruption of ecosystems. This deforestation not only diminishes habitats for wildlife but also reduces the forest’s capacity to sequester carbon, exacerbating climate change. Additionally, unsustainable charcoal production often results in soil erosion and reduced agricultural productivity, further threatening local livelihoods. The widespread reliance on charcoal as a primary energy source continues to pose a substantial environmental challenge for Liberia, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable alternatives and improved forest management practices.
