After having explored the different ways in which water supply and sanitation can have gender implications, as well as offering my view on potential solutions along the way, I am slowly reaching the end of my discussion. Nonetheless, and having saved the best for last, this week I would like to look into what I think is the best way of closing the gender gap: by making sure men and women have an equal say in the ‘water world’. Put simply, if water management is to be a democratic process, then women cannot be under-represented - and although there has been a significant shift at the top-level, with more women taking on the roles of water ministers, the real change needs to be felt at the grassroots level.
In South Africa, the government decided to address this by putting incentives in place such as ‘Women in Water’ awards and bursaries for young women to take up careers in the water sector. By implementing such programmes, they hope to slowly shift the policy focus from one of a general improvement of physical water supply to a more gender-oriented and targeted approach. Nonetheless, there is still the need to put in place more locally focused policies; examples of this could include to allow women to identify water sources in the village as well as to decide on the location of water pumps. Research has shown that when women become involved in the implementation and maintenance of water projects the incidence of misuse and breakdown decreases considerably (UN).
Having been largely inspired to take on this theme by Kevany and Huisingh’s paper (‘A review of progress in empowerment of women in rural water management decision-making process’), I thought it would be appropriate to conclude my findings by critically summarising this paper which covers all the main issues I explored.
All in all, the message that the authors are attempting to convey is that “the voice of women is central to the formulation of appropriate and sustainable water management” - and although it is undeniable that women play a pivotal role in the managing and sustaining of water, this is rarely reflected within institutions. Therefore, as the authors suggest, there is a need to implement specific policy goals which are aimed at equating opportunities across genders. One of the ways of doing this is by promoting community-based water initiatives which would require the involvement of women throughout the different stages of the project, from decision-making to the implementation and execution. The authors also believe that while practices which promote gender empowerment are beneficial for their own sake, they could also have an influence in achieving more than an efficient use of water (Panda, 2007; Singh, 2006; Shiva, 2002). As I mentioned in my introductory post, there is a need to remember that there is a two-way relationship between gender empowerment and water.
A brief example illustrating the benefits of involving women in the decision-making process is put forward by Shah (2002) who examines a participatory irrigation management project in Gambia where women were held responsible for the construction and maintenance of the field channels. Not only did this allow them to develop their project management skills, but also provided them with a channel for raising their voice against unfair compensation.
I’ve put together a checklist with three main points which I believe summarises what I’ve learnt throughout the process of writing this blog. The three points can be interpreted as what I deem the “best practice” methods for the involvement of women in water projects:
1. There is a need for a system in place to identify the differences in roles, positions and privileges of both genders and the resulting community dynamics
2. Women need to be more actively represented at all stages - from the initial decision-making through to the execution.
3. There should be a monitoring system in place which evaluates the level of gender equality of the project throughout the different stages as well as providing the stakeholders with a final “result”.
In conclusion, and as put forward by Cornwall and Gaventa, the status of citizens can and should be aided through a shift in focus from ‘users and choosers’ to ‘makers and shapers’(2001). I will leave you with this thought...
