Water and Gender in Africa

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Why climate action needs women

- January 09, 2021

It is hard to talk about the relationship between water and gender without acknowledging the climate crisis we are currently facing. A changing climate affects everyone, however women are often more likely to be displaced as a result of climate change( UNWomen,2009 ). Many development policy approaches fail to recognise the gendered nature of everyday realities and experiences ( Rao,2016 ). Therefore, there is a need for gender sensitive responses to the effects of climate change. Climate change in Africa Climate change will have serious implications for development prospects in Africa. The Climate in Africa report states how extreme weather events from tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth to droughts and heavy rainfall that affected southern Africa and in the Greater Horn of Africa will become more frequent ( WMO, 2019 ). Continued warming temperatures, rising sea levels and extreme weather events are just a snapshot of the rapidly rising longer term climate related risks associated wi

Women and political protest

- January 08, 2021

Whilst doing some reading, I came across an interesting article called ' Naked power: women and the social production of water in anglophone Cameroon' ( Page,2020 ). This was a really eye opening article that emphasised how important it is to view women in the history of the ‘production of water’ as they are not just simply users but also were and are still key actors in efforts to implement water infrastructure. Production of water refers to the 'social arrangements that govern the use of water...regulating the way people behave around water sources, the committees that decide the allocation of resources, the local values of water and the cultural meanings associated with it (Page, 2020). Naked power: Nudity as a form of political protest In the small Cameroonian town of Tombel in 1959, a woman stripped off her dress and stood naked in front of a crowd in protest of the failure to install a piped water supply for the past three decades. This was followed by a few old

Women and solar irrigation farming

- December 20, 2020

It is hard to discuss water resources in Africa without mentioning the importance it has on sustaining agricultural practises in the region. This post will focus on solar irrigation technologies and how they can increase resistance of female farmers against climate change and increase their ability in completing domestic and agricultural tasks. Agricultural production and solar powered irrigation Agricultural production depends on the availability of two important productive resources; fertile land and water. Therefore, water plays an important role in contributing to food security. In Africa women account between 60-80% of the agricultural labour production ( Lopez 2016 ). This figure is increasing as men increasingly are leaving rural areas in pursuit of urban employment. Therefore, it is increasingly important to be engaging with women when addressing issues of water systems for irrigation. 95% of sub-Saharan agriculture depends on 'green water': moisture from rain held

Gender Mainstreaming and Water related development

- December 13, 2020

This blog will look to provide some contextual background regarding the concept of ‘gender mainstreaming’ as an evolving aspect of development narratives particularly regarding water and how this has shaped the effectiveness of policies and intervention over time. Gender mainstreaming first indirectly referred to in the 1985 United Nations World Conference on Women in Nairobi and finally introduced in the 1995 United Nations World Fourth Conference on Women in Beijing is defined as: “The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes… so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated (UNESOC, 1997 ). So how did we get to gender mainstreaming? The narrative has significantly developed from Women In Development (WID) approach in the

Urban sanitation and gender based violence (GBV)

- November 30, 2020

The acceleration of urbanisation will increase pressures on water resources, with Africa being forecasted to experience the most growth ( OECD,2019 ). Poor access to sanitation or water increases the risk of violence for women which also impoverishes their families, communities and societies ( Amnesty,2020 ).  This post will unravel the implications of gender based violence (GBV) on women and girls’ abilities to access WASH facilities and initiatives seeking to address this. GBV and WASH in urban informal settlements GBV can significantly impact access to adequate water sanitation and hygiene for women and girls and in some cases boys and men. As the world recently marked world toilet day (Nov 19) it emphasises how without toilets basic hygiene practices are compromised.  In Makuu informal settlement in south-east Nairobi Kenya, ‘going to the toilet’ is not just a public health or infrastructural matter but also a matter of personal safety. “Women, more than men, suffer the ind

Menstrual Health Management and access to adequate WASH facilities

- November 29, 2020

It is widely recognised that sanitation and health are heavily influenced by availability and access to water. This is evident in SDG goal 6.2 which emphasises  sanitation for all  ( UNWater,2016 ) where WASH is the subject to dedicated targets. In my previous post I brushed upon the impact of distant water supplies on the ability for individuals in rural areas to maintain personal hygiene. This post will further develop on this by highlighting the impacts of a lack of WASH facilities for menstrual health management (MHM). As we will find out  MHM is important to address because it is not exclusively linked to sanitation, but also to other SDG’s relating to gender empowerment and education ( UNICEF,2019 ). Source WASH facilities for rural communities In Zambia most girls reported that their main challenges include the lack of provision of sanitary materials leading to use of uncomfortable materials ( Chinyama et al 2019 ) , something that is common across SSA such as in South Afri

Walk for Water: Gender and water collection responsibilties

- November 23, 2020

In many parts of the globe, surviving without a running tap within the household requires seeking alternatives: walking for water. My mother who grew up in rural Bangladesh in the 1960s often reminds me of her childhood experiences of waking up at dawn with other children and women to collect water from the unmonitored local river. This is still a reality for many. This post will focus on the gender inequalities surrounding water collection by looking at a study by Graham et al (2016) on water collection in 24 SSA countries. Over two-thirds of the population report leaving their homes to collect water (ibid.). Fleifel et al, ( 2019 ) highlights t hat the unequal responsibilities around water-related tasks is a result of water insecurity, something we have discussed in a previous post. This inequality invites exposure to violence, ill-health and female disempowerment. Table 1: Water Collection in 24 Sub- Saharan countries in Africa source In the 24 SSA countries studied, an estimate

Water scarcity and groundwater use in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A gendered perspective

- November 15, 2020

This blog will highlight the discrepancies in current ways water scarcity is measured and highlight how water scarcity is not synonymous to water access. It will also underline how economic water scarcity facilitates gender disparities, through the arising inequalities surrounding groundwater use and access in Ethiopia. Many development goals seek to address water scarcity as the uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water, combined with population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation and intensive agriculture, has resulted in increased pressures on water resources globally ( Demie et al, 2016 ). Water Scarcity in Africa Firstly, the definition of physical water scarcity and economic scarcity should be distinguished. Whilst the former can be a result of insufficient water available from the water cycle ( Oki,2019 ), the latter occurs when there is a lack of access due to the failure of institutions to ensure adequate infrastructure for a regular supply of water ( UNWater,2018

Water and Gender: Is there a link?

- October 28, 2020

At first glance, you may think what has gender got to do with water? Water issues are faced by both men and women, right? This blog will investigate some water issues in the context of African development with a focus on gender to reveal some of the often-underrepresented challenges that are exclusively posed on women. Through aspects from provision to management of water this blog will reflect how water is far from gender neutral. Why water and gender? The right to safe access to water is globally recognised as a core human right and yet 1 in 3 people live without safe access to water ( WHO, 2019 ). In efforts to address the gendered reality of water management and development, the United Nations proclaimed 2005-2015 the ‘International Decade for Action: Water for life’ followed by 2018-2028 being named the ‘Water for Sustainable development’ decade in efforts to promote sustainable development recognising that: “As women play a central role in water provision and management, a sp

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