Why Water Is A Women's Issue - Brief Article

From: HABITAT DEBATE by UN Center for Human Settlements Vol 6, No 3.

"In a very large number of societies, the gender division of labour assigns the responsibility for the family's nutrition and hygiene to women. Water is central to both of these functions and women remain the drawers of water...in rural areas and in the urban setting, particularly in poor urban settlements.

In urban informal settlements where services are lacking, women very often fill the gap in service provision. Water provision forms a large part of this role. Mostly it is women and children (especially girls) who fetch water.

When men are involved, in the business of providing water, they often...use some kind of technology, or money. Observe Nairobi, Kenya, at the height of the drought in 2000... Women and children, especially girls, spend long hours in long lines waiting for water. They carry the water home in plastic or metal containers which are carried...on heads or on backs. The men spend just as long at the lines, but very often use bicycles, wheel-barrows or small pick-up trucks to carry the water.

Medical research has documented cases of permanent damage to women's health attributed to carrying water. Problems range from chronic fatigue, spinal and pelvic deformities to effects on reproductive health such as spontaneous abortions. In some parts of Africa, where women expend as much as 85 per cent of their daily energy intake fetching water, the incidence of anaemia and other health problems are very high. . . anaemia increases during the dry season. . .the nutritional level of children is often negatively related to the distance the mother must walk for water.

Providing water for the family has been such a large part of women's workloads and lives that women very often organize around water. Women's groups in rural areas as well as in poor urban settlements organize to provide water through communal self-help or to demand water from the relevant authorities. In water policy and projects, women's and men's needs can conflict over what is perceived as being most important...Women and men's perceptions may differ regarding the relative priority of commercial versus domestic use, over what is most important concerning reliability of supply, ease of access, purity and cost...The equal involvement of women and men in the relevant decision-making structures would help resolve such issues.

Easing women's burden in water provision leads to improved welfare of the whole family and gives women more time to rest, engage in income-earning activities, as well as participate in political organizations at the local level. Equal participation of women in the relevant neighbourhood, local authority and projects for the design of water provision and management can contribute valuable insights. . .. For example, women are more likely to know answers to questions such as:

- How is water lost through the system? - How much are residents actually spending on water?

- How much are they prepared to spend if assured of reasonably reliable supplies?

- In case of rationing, what are convenient rationing schedules? etc.

As the world's "unofficial" water managers, it is imperative that women play a bigger role in the management of water in their cities. This will ensure that water projects respond to actual needs.."

COPYRIGHT 2001 Women's International Network
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group