Gender and water collection

In Africa 90% of gathering water and wood is done by women. The collection of water in Africa is a huge inequality between genders, as women are expected to collect water and other household necessities, such as fire wood, while the men go to work.  On average, women and children travel 10-15 km a day to collect and carry 15 litres. Water collection is a “woman’s job” as it must do with the home, it is seen as the women’s job to keep the household running while the man works for the money for the family.

Travelling vast amounts of distance on foot while carrying heavy amounts of water is sure to cause some health problems in the long term. Medical research shows cases of permanent damage done to women’s health credited to carrying water. These problems can rage from chronic fatigue and spinal and pelvic deformities which could impact their reproductive health and lead to spontaneous abortions. This damage done to their reproductive health can in turn create tensions within the family, as often husbands expect many children. In rural parts of Africa, it is common that women spend 85% of their daily energy intake collecting water, this makes it very difficult for women to undertake their other duties, which often include, cooking, cleaning and farming.

One of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals is to promote gender equality and empower women. In order to achieve this goal, something needs to be done about water collection in rural areas in Africa. It could be argued that women are being held back by torturous tasks, such as water collection, when with investment changes can be made to make their daily lives much easier. Water collection can often take 5 hours of a woman’s day to complete, this is valuable time for the women and girls who are subjected to this. If women and girls were not undertaking this task they could potentially be in in education or adult education, working or taking part in leisure activities. If women spent their time in education rather than collecting water, this could not only help achieve the Millennium Development Goal but help the local economies grow. If women are encouraged to enrol in education they could get further their skills by getting jobs, and in turn spending the increased family income in the local economy, thus helping development of that area. However, although women manage the household water, it is typically men who sit on water committees and decide on investments for water and where repair and maintenance should be conducted. This could create problems as both men and women will prioritise different aspects of water.

Not only could women and girls receive health problems because of water collection, but they could be victims of sexual abuse. However, sexual abuse connected to water collection is not only restricted to parts of Africa but is a global problem. This is shown in India, as the percentage of women who have experienced verbal sexual harassment in North East Delhi is 66.3% while the percentage who have experienced physical sexual abuse is 32.6%. Many water supplies in rural Africa, such as parts of Kenya, are controlled by violent gangs, this makes families worried about their fate when collecting water. If men go to collect the water, they could be beaten or killed by the gangs, however, if women collect the water they will be victims to sexual abuse. Thus, the women and girls are made to collect the water.

Overall, it is clear that gender inequalities are present in water collection, in order for the Millennium Development Goal regarding gender inequality to be achieved this problem needs to be addressed. The current situation is not only holding the women back, but is holding development from excelling, as with the spare time from not collecting water the women and girls could be in education, or working, thus having a greater household income and spending it in the local economy. Carrying these large amounts of water for large distances is sure to have health impacts, and It does. Carrying out this task can deform the pelvis and spine, which in turn could impact the reproductive health. It is not only health problems the women have to fear, it’s the sexual threats they receive as a result of collecting water. All of these examples of inequality need to be dealt with to progress with development.

References:

Graham, J.P., et al. (2016). An Analysis of Water Collection Labor among Women and Children in 24 Sub-Saharan African Countries. PLoS ONE. 11 (6).

Hitchcock, R.K., et al. (2001). Women, water and natural resources management in southern. Botswana Notes and Records. 33, p.149.

News on Millennium Development Goals. Available: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/. Last accessed 16th Oct 2017.

(2010). Health risks for women highlighted on World Water Day.Available: http://www.wpro.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2010/pr20102303_1/en/. Last accessed 16th Oct 2017.

(2014). Gender and Water. Available: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/gender.shtml. Last accessed 16th Oct 2017.

(2015). Kenya and Brazil: Water Issues in Urban Slums.Available: https://globalwateralliance.wordpress.com/2015/08/07/kenya-and-brazil-water-issues-in-urban-slums/. Last accessed 16th Oct 2017.