DOES WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION IN LOCAL WATER MANAGEMENT LEAD TO BETTER MEETING WOMEN’S DOMESTIC WATER NEEDS?

• Main Authors: Christina Geoffrey Mandara, Anke Niehof, Hilje van der Horst
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Social Sciences Research Society 2013-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies
• Online Access: http://www.sobiad.org/eJOURNALS/journal_IJSS/arhieves/IJSS_2013_1/Christina-Geoffrey.pdf

This paper focuses on the interface between genderroles in water provision anduse at household and community level and its relationship with women’s practicaland strategic gender needs. Data were collected innine villages in the districts ofKondoa and Mpwapwa, Dodoma region in Tanzania. Results have shown thatwomen gain more knowledge on the appropriateness ofwater for consumptiveand productive uses while pursuing their reproductive roles in the provision anduse of domestic water at the household level. However, social-cultural contextlimit women’s participation during designing and planning of water services atcommunity level; ultimately their preferences and perceptions on theappropriateness of the domestic water are not integrated in the water projects. Werecommend systematic analysis on the interdependence between women’sdomestic water needs, their involvement in community management and thebigger picture of gender roles in society.