Water, as Women's Issue

To understand the different ways that women and men use water, integrated water management is now focusing on gender. Integrated water management has arisen because previously uncoordinated approaches have resulted in environmental degradation from the overexploitation of, and unequal distribution of benefits from, water resources. Approaches that use community participation have failed to address these [Page 1540]problems, mainly because communities are seen as a collection of people with a common purpose. However, there is competition for supplies when and in places where resources are scarce, and the least powerful people in a community-that is, poor women and men-go without.

In most societies, unequal power relations between men and women create a further disadvantage for women. The disadvantage occurs because women and men are defined and relate to each other in different ways in different societies; these relations are known as gender relations. Gender relations are constructed by a range of institutions such as the family, legal systems, and the economic market, and operate as hierarchical relations of power between women and men. Although the hierarchies are often accepted as “natural,” they are socially determined relations, are culturally based, and are subject to change over time.

Integrated water management has created a paradigm shift in the management of water resources. The global environmental crisis, growing poverty in urban and rural areas, and continued gender inequalities require a different approach to water use and management. Access to a basic water supply is a fundamental human right, yet water supply services and infrastructure are economic activities. Thus, water use for sanitation and domestic purposes, which tends to be the responsibility of women, must be incorporated into assessments of the economic value of the use of water. However, women often have no rights to land and water, which affects their livelihoods. In addition, although it is desirable for water supply to be paid for, it is also important to take into account people's ability to pay. If charges for domestic water supply have to be paid, both women and men should be involved in determining the rates. Even though women in many societies do not have access to cash, they are still expected to pay for water and sanitation more than men, because they are the main users and it is considered their responsibility.

Government Responsibility or Privatized

Governments are usually responsible for ensuring that the water supply needs of the whole population [Page 1541]are met, but there has been a move toward the privatization of water services. Companies solely interested in making a profit from water will not be concerned about low-income households, domestic water users, and those who use water sources for their basic necessities of life-all categories in which women are heavily represented.

Women readying water vessels in an Ethiopian village. Having water available for sanitation and domestic purposes tends to be the responsibility of women, and they often have difficulty obtaining and affording adequate quantities of water.

Planning water projects that can operate at the lowest levels of society is most important to ensure that decisions are supported by those who implement water projects in their communities-often women. As female-headed households tend to have less bargaining power in communities than male-headed households, however, a specific effort to include them is needed. Thus, campaigns to reduce water wastage should target women, and men and women's skills and knowledge should be acknowledged as crucial for effective, efficient management of water.

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