Closing Thoughts

I have enjoyed learning about the water and gender issues in Africa and it would appear that there is much evidence now beginning to emerge of successful projects, which gives me hope that progress is being made. It would appear that a virtuous cycle is now emerging. I posit that once women gain confidence within their society that they are valuable, they will have more self-believe that they do contribute useful skills and knowledge. Perhaps this will inspire more women to take a stance on unjust living conditions, and hopefully this is the beginning of the end for many situations in the West that we just take for granted.

Water, Gender and Farming

Women are key collectors of water, and food for their families. However, women face great gender inequality – they lack massive recognition for their work on the land. When it comes to the water for irrigation to use in farming, men are far more likely to receive a plot of their choosing. Women normally have far less say in the matter and will find it difficult to access water.

In order to correct this problem, it is important that we increase the participation of women in water and irrigation policies, be it on their own or with their husbands. However, there are many barriers to entry for women trying to gain a foothold in irrigation management. This can be due to cultural norms, where the idea of public decision making and attending open meetings are more attributed to men than to women. (Zwarteveen 1997).

A case study conducted by Caretta (2015) underlines the difference that good access to irrigation can make to women.  Caretta investigates two villages where women’s roles are believed to be that of a reproductive nature, and they play second fiddle to the men in the community. However, a recent change in the nature of farming in one of the villages, Sibou, has lead to women being about to modify their stance in society. This has allowed for women to both work more and make more decisions.

Caretta, M. (2015) ‘Hydropatriarchies and landesque capital: a local gender contract analysis of two smallholder irrigation systems in East Africa’, The Geographical Journal, 181, 4, 388-400.

Zwarteveen, M. (1997) ‘Water: From Basic Need to Commodity: A Discussion on Gender and Water Rights in the Context of Irrigation’, World Development, 25, 8, 1335-1349.

World Toilet Day

November 17^th 2018 was World Water Day – a yearly initiative to promote the awareness of global sanitation. I think we take using toilets for granted in Britain… the worst I have had to deal with was not having a toilet whilst hiking in the Scottish Highlands for five days completing my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. However, women in Africa do not have an easy situation at all.

Montgomery et al (2009) published an interesting paper that indicates how sanitation programmes can more made more sustainable. They note three clear components to aid in the longevity of projects. These are: ‘effective community demand, local financing and cost recovery, and dynamic operation and maintenance’.  (Montgomery et al 2009: 1019). The paper further acknowledges that these factors face many problems. These problems are wide ranging and include simply the fact that some villages are isolated and will be harder to reach, or reasons related to the culture found in certain areas such as the fact there is no incentive to build new sanitation project, a mistrust of different sanitation projects, or a lack of funding services for women. However many of these issues can be overcome with the correct grassroots funding and training.

I came across a charity that I believe does important work in Africa for women and sanitation. The Global Women’s Water Initiative train and education women as technicians to maintain sanitation facilities in Africa through a four-year programme. The programme also allows them to educate others in hygiene and water practices, further spreading applicable knowledge.

Montgomery, M., Bartam, J. and Elimech, M. (2009) ‘Increasing Functional Sustainability of Water and Sanitation Supplies in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa’, Environmental Engineering Science, 26, 5, 1017-1023.

https://www.globalwomenswater.org/impact

Water as a Gendered Commodity in Africa

The gendered division of water (its uses and collection) in Africa has many consequences. In households in Africa where water needs to be collected there is a well-known consensus in academia that it is the women’s role in the family to collect the water. Stereotypically, the male role in the household would reflect the conception of the farm household (where the man is the farmer and decision maker) (Zwarteveen 1997). The differing collection/uses/freedom of water between men and women will be explored in the blog posts that follow.

A case study researched by Van Houweling (2016), effectively details the issues with this gendered division of labour both pre- and post- having hand pumps installed. The case study deals with five different villages in northern Mozambique.

Before the installation of the hand pumps the collection of water being left to women often means they get up very early in the morning to walk to the wells. Collecting the water everyday can be stressful for these women. In the villages, families take pride in being able to use water to cook and clean, and women will be considered to be a ‘bad wife’ if they cannot complete family duties by not having the water for their families. Further to this, the women interviewed often found it stressful having to leave their children at home on their own when they go to collect the water. In the most extreme example, one woman returned to a fire in her house that was accidentally started by one of her young children. Compare this to our society where leaving young unsupervised children would be not tolerated. However, I feel for the mothers who are essentially between Scylla and Charybdis. In addition, sometimes the eldest children would accompany their mothers to fetch the water with them. This has further negative ramifications on their education. Overall the women felt as if there was a strain on their relationships when they could not get water, or if they had to wait a long time to collect the water, resulting in them getting back to their homes later in the morning.

After having the hand pumps installed closer to their villages the women were overall much happier. They found that they could sleep longer in the morning before having to get up to collect the water. Consequently, there was less of a physical strain due to them not having to walk so far to collect the water. In addition, the women found that their relationship with their husbands and family often improved  – they can bring water for their family to bathe in, giving them a sense of pride. The women in these communities also noted the lack of guilt from taking their children with them to acquire the water. These women understand how important it is that their children, both boys and girls, have access to education and I think it is favourable that these simple technologies can be utilised to make such a big difference to their livelihoods.

One exception to this gendered collection of water is during the dry season. Men are more likely to accompany women when they are collecting the water. This however results in the men having less time for farming, their religious duties and visiting their family. Interestingly, the negative impacts on men when dealing with water collection are rarely mentioned.

When I think about the difference of ease of access to water it is remarkable how we take our access to water for granted. The straightforwardness of filling a kettle to boil water as compared to walking for miles to collect, to walk back and then heat the water shows the stark disparity between the two cultures. I find it interesting here that water is central to these women’s daily lives, and that the act of obtaining the water is a defining gender role within the communities. I also find it notable the empowerment women feel when their access to water is increased – something that is never thought of in Britain, and certainly there is no defining gender role connected to water.

Zwarteveen, M. (1998) ‘Water: From Basic Need to Commodity: A Discussion on Gender and Water Rights in the Context of Irrigation’, World Development, 25, 8, 1335-1349.

Van Houweling, E. (2016). “A Good Wife Brings Her Husband Bath Water”: Gender Roles and Water Practices in Nampula, Mozambique. Society & Natural Resources, 29(9), 1065-1078.

Welcome to the Blog

Hi everyone,

My name is Claire and I am a 3rd year Geography student at UCL.

This term for our 'Water and Development' module we need to create a blog based around water and a related topic... My blog will focus on water and gender.

Water and gender are two topics that are incredibly intertwined - in this blog I will look into water being a gendered commodity.

Topics that will be covered are:

• Water as a gendered commodity
• Physical impact of water on women
• Psychological and emotional impact of water collection on water 
• Impact of water collection on the family
• Water, gender and HIV/AIDS
• Water, gender and sanitation.