The Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women

Woman carrying firewood in Segou. Disadvantaged women world-wide are locked into a lifestyle of exploitation. The Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women, established in 1975, is trying to improve their lot through projects implemented on a village level. One such project is the introduction of a smoke-free, fuel-efficient wood stove for cooking. While reducing the time consuming task of wood gathering, it limits at the same time the severe environmental impact traditional cooking methods, where almost 90 per cent of the heat is lost, have had on the drought-stricken area.