{"id":17811,"date":"2014-07-31T12:16:13","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T18:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=17811"},"modified":"2014-07-31T12:16:13","modified_gmt":"2014-07-31T18:16:13","slug":"solar-power-tool-radical-feminism-knew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/solar-power-tool-radical-feminism-knew\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Power as a Tool of Radical Feminism – Who Knew? [Video]"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s easy to get cynical about the pace of response\u00a0to threats like climate change<\/a>, so I confess my reaction to most of The Guardian<\/em>‘s “10 reasons to be hopeful that we will overcome climate change<\/a>” was “ho hum… we know this…” But even a crusty cynic like myself had to feel a bit of hope when reading #5. After\u00a0watching the World Bank video to which it linked (which I’ve embedded below), I felt positively excited: who knew that some lighting provided by solar power<\/a> could make sure a difference to the developing world’s women…<\/p>\n

Yes, I’m using the term “radical feminism” sarcastically in the headline (in the sense of someone who views all feminism as “radical”); the idea of women and girls having equal access to educational and economic opportunity doesn’t strike me as particularly revolutionary. What did get me thinking, though, was the notion that some solar panels could move such an agenda forward. But when light and energy are readily and cheaply available, apparently it’s OK to share them with the women…<\/p>\n

OK, that sounded cynical again… just watch this five-minute video from the World Bank about the changes women are experiencing in Bangladesh just from the introduction of solar power into more remote communities:<\/p>\n