Title StyleWomen and WaterPerspectives on Empowerment

Presented by Malaika Cheney-CokerWomen for Water WebinarDecember 5, 2012

Title StyleAbout Water+ at CARE• In 2011 CARE helped 27 million women and men

in 50 countries develop sustainable water management practices and improve community hygiene and sanitation

• Water Team has developed a Theory of Change that seeks to prioritize impact on women and girls

Title Style

04/10/2023 3

Our Theory of Change

Secure and sustainable access to WATER+ services

Gender-sensitive WATER+ policies,

institutions, & social norms

Gender-equitable

control over WATER+ services

Poor women & school-aged girls improve

their lives

+ x =

Catalyst

*Sustainability &Appropriateness of Services

Enabler

*Governance

Driver

*Women’s and GirlsAgency

Goal

Title Style

04/10/2023CARE (Main Title from Title Page) 4

Gender-sensitiveWASH+ health

policies, institutions,& social norms

Girls’ & women’s health needs are

voiced with impact on policy

& services

Health

Secure and sustainable access to WATER+ services

Gender-sensitive WATER+ policies,

institutions, & social norms

Gender-equitable

control over WATER+ services

Poor women & school-aged girls improve

their lives

+ x =

WASH access for household

use

Access to WASH services including menstrual

management in schools

Policies, institutions, & social norms

support gender-sensitive school WASH provision

Building confidence and leadership in

schoolsEducation

Policies, institutions, & social

norms support ecologically

sustainable water resources resilient to climate change

Gender-equitable control of

maintenance of water resourcesEnviro

nment/

Climate Change

Gender-sensitive maintenance of water resources & adaptations to climate change

Access to water for productive

uses with a focus on women’s

livelihoods

Policies, institutions, &

social norms that support women’s water dependent

livelihoods

Girls’ & women’s livelihood needs &

interests are heard &

addressed

Livelihood/

Food Security

Title StyleKey Question• If women are disproportionately affected by inadequate

water and sanitation facilities to what extent do women feel that access to clean water and sanitation transforms their lives?

Title StyleThe Study• The Women’s Experience Snapshot Tool was

administered to 191 women in GWI EA WASH intervention areas of Ethiopia (49) , Kenya (45), Tanzania (45) and Uganda (52) in 2012.

• Primarily a quantitative feedback mechanism but allows for additional comments

• The majority of the women were married (53 % ), 22 % were single, 18 % widowed and 7 % divorced.

Old parent/relative living in the household

Head of household, (e.g. female headed household)

Wife of head of household

Other adult within the household (over approx 15)

Young dependant of head of household (school aged girl)

10%

29%

43%

10%

9%

Title StyleImproved Health• 95 % felt the project had resulted in improvements in their

health, and 92% in improvement for other members of the household

Title StyleReduced Stress• 82% of women reported that the project had positive

impacts on them in term of reduced stress (32 % reported significant improvements).

• Reasons included:• Girls no longer being late for school, women being more

relaxed due to more time, more water for different needs, not being as tired due to long journeys; being able to spend more time on other activities for themselves and less tension with husbands.

Title StyleIncreased Respect/dignity• Availability of water and household sanitation had

brought about an improvement in the dignity of the women due to the privacy of latrines and clean clothes – this is confirmed by 86% of the respondents.

Title StyleImproved Gender Equality

• 80 % of the women interviewed felt the program had contributed to greater gender equality (10 % no response, 9 % no change and 2 % feedback that it had gotten worse). Reasons include more women in key positions on water user committees, greater understanding of hygiene and sanitation

• Only 69 % of women, however, felt the project had increased their sense of empowerment, (13 % didn’t respond, 16 % said there was no change and 2 % reported decreases).

Title StyleImproved Finances• 72 % of women reported being in an improved financial

situation (15% reported no difference, 3% reported worsening). Reasons include:

• the reduced cost of water for those who used to pay more

• having more time for economic activities e.g. selling products at the market/kiosk setting up a bakery selling doughnuts, or being a hotelier

• the changes to household health resulting in fewer costs relating to illness

Title StyleDifferences in Women’s Experiences

• Wives of heads of households and female heads of households are more likely to report income generation activity benefits; young dependents and older parents/relatives less likely to do so.

• Wives of head’s of households were disproportionately more likely to report increased respect/dignity, (e.g. wives of heads of households are 5.4 times more likely than young dependents of the head of household to report improvement).

• Middle income women were less likely to have improved time for socializing after intervention compared to women in the both upper and lower income brackets.

•

Title StyleMy Voice as a Woman• “Through training my capacity to raise my opinion has

increased”• “It is better than before as women now get chances to air

out their views in village meetings.”• “Women are involved in making community decisions”• “Women can now be elected to lead groups and

community social groups like the water management committee and their opinions are more considered unlike before the intervention”

• “Before GWI the man (head of household) questioned everything in terms of development but currently they are positive on the activities, carried out by women.”

Title StyleConclusions• WASH programming does support women’s

empowerment through increased health, dignity, gender equality and financial security and reduced stress.

• However, women’s experiences are not homogeneous. Programming needs to be sensitive to and – wherever possible - take into account not just differences in relative wealth and disabilities, but also issues around position in and composition of households.