Domestic water provision and gender roles in drylands

Abstract

In many areas around the globe, the provision of water for domestic use is a major preoccupation: supplies that are distant or inadequate impede development for all concerned. It is women who are overwhelmingly responsible for the prudent utilization of this water. The paper examines gender roles in the management of household water in ill-served and arid rural areas in relation to local cultural norms. It observes that many well-meaning attempts to improve rural water supplies are less than successful because of failure to take sufficiently into account the gender dimension. Women's key involvement in the sector enables water supplies to be developed more effectively and, through women's participation in planning processes, hopefully improves their social status. Case studies illustrate these points, pointing to some of the present problems and concluding with some practical suggestions.