Social and Gender Equity Gauge

Assessing gender equity in the water sector in South Asia

Background

• So far scattered references, impressions and a few studies indicating gender inequities which have not created an impact on policy or intervention

Objectives

• Develop a policy tool that helps in building a gender/caste/class disaggregated data base for example on

• a) access to water and associated resources like land, credit, skills,

• b) voice in decision making • c) nature of work and time spent in water related

activities in the productive and the reproductive sphere • d) costs and benefits across social groups from public

expenditures on water programmes• e) varying impacts at the micro and macro levels as a

result of lack of access to water, decision making- on their time, health, self esteem etc.

Indicators…1Levels of contestation Indicators

Resources and Rights a) Access and control over productive resourcesThis refers to productive resources such as land, water, credit that are crucialfor both positive livelihood outcomes as well as for bargaining for better andsecure social status.

b) Gender division of water workUnderstanding the gendered work pattern of work around water which isindicative of how easy or difficult access to the resource is.c) Water pricing and cost recovery issuesAffordable water as a basic right becomes crucial in the gender povertywater linkages. It is one of the key determiners of access/control over water

Rules, norms and laws Understanding the water policy contexts, the laws and the informal rules andnorms that govern access to water

Indicators…2Authorities a) Institutions

Largely the water related institutions like the Water Users Associations(WUAs) but also other local institutions, which have implications on women’sempowerment process. Here we would focus on looking at profile of members,who decides membership criteria, distribution and allocation rulesb) Nature of participationNature of participation is also determined by how roles within institutions aredelineated. Here we would try to understand the quality of participation andhow and whether it contributes to women’s empowerment and watermanagement practices.c) Skills and CapabilitiesKnowledge has a critical role to play in the meaningful use of resources andstrengthening the resource rights. It creates an ability to influence opinionregarding both access as well as decision making around rules and regulations

Knowledge discourses

What shapes the understanding around water? How are policy makersinformed? What governs whether water should be seen as an economic good, ahuman right etc become concerns of ideology

Tools/methods

• Household questionnaire • Focus group discussions• Spatial mapping • Collection of secondary data• Field observations

Our sample

Village selection criteria

• No of households in village: between 100 to 500

• SC population: 15% and above

Caste inequities in resource ownership

Caste

Landownership Livestock ownership Water Source ownership

Totalown land landless Yes No Yes No

Open 88.41 11.59 82.32 17.68 65.24 34.76 164

OBC 57.14 42.86 71.43 28.57 42.86 57.14 42

SC 62.86 37.14 57.14 42.86 25.71 74.29 70

ST 40.00 60.00 50.00 50.00 20.00 80.00 10

DT 75.00 25.00 75.00 25.00 75.00 25.00 8

NT 78.57 21.43 71.43 28.57 57.14 42.86 14

Muslim 75.00 25.00 50.00 50.00 16.67 83.33 12

Total 75.94 24.06 72.50 27.50 50.31 49.69 320

Women’s ownership to land in landowning households

80.25%

3.29%

16.46%

Male

Female

Both

Inequities in associated technology

Ownership of water related equipment

Open OBC SC ST DT NT Muslim Total

No equipment

23.17 40.48 58.57 60 25 21.43 50 35

Electric pump

57.32 33.33 24.29 30 37.5 57.14 16.67 44.06

Storage tank

50.61 42.86 14.29 10 50 42.86 16.67 38.75

Private tap

14.02 16.67 27.14 0 50 7.14 16.67 17.5

Diesel pump 6.1 7.14 1.43 0 25 0 16.67 5.63

Pipeline 7.32 2.38 0 0 0 14.29 0 4.69

Generator 0 2.38 0 0 0 0 0 0.31

HH covered 164 42 70 10 8 14 12 320

Domestic water and sanitation

Access to water

Caste wise average water access (lpcd)

90

5848

34 41

81

41

71

0

20

40

60

80

100

Open OBC SC ST DT NT Muslim TotalCastes

Ave

rage

wat

er a

vaila

bili

ty o

f H

H (

LP

CD

)

Water consumption pattern across castes

Water consumption categories Open OBC SC ST DT NT

Muslim Total

1 to 20 3.05 11.9 5.71 20 12.5 0 8.33 5.63

20 to 39 30.49 28.57 42.86 30 50 28.57 25 33.13

40 2.44 4.76 4.29 0 12.5 7.14 8.33 3.75

40 to 80 29.88 30.95 35.71 50 12.5 35.71 58.33 32.81

80 to 100 13.41 14.29 4.29 0 0 0 0 9.69

100 to 200 13.41 4.76 7.14 0 12.5 28.57 0 10.63

200 to 300 1.83 4.76 0 0 0 0 0 1.56

300 to 400 1.83 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.94

400 to 500 1.83 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.94

More than 500 1.83 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.94

No of HH covered 164 42 70 10 8 14 12 320

Public sources  Source dependence Open OBC SC ST DT NT Muslim Total

Self owned private 26.83 14.29 7.14 0 12.5 28.57 8.33 19.06

Others owned private sources 23.17 19.05 25.71 30 0 21.43 8.33 22.19

Public sources 32.93 61.9 61.43 50 87.5 42.86 66.67 46.56

River 1.22 0 1.43 0 0 7.14 0 1.25

Self private and other private 1.83 0 1.43 0 0 0 0 1.25

Self private and public 3.66 2.38 0 0 0 0 0 2.19

Public and other private 7.93 2.38 2.86 20 0 0 16.67 6.25

Public and river 2.44 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.25

No of HH covered 164 42 70 10 8 14 12 320

Sanitation

56

44

No Yes

Irrigation

Access to irrigation

Castecategory Irrigated Non irrigated Both

No of land owning HH

Open 36.55 17.93 45.52 145

OBC 45.83 16.67 37.50 24

SC 13.64 63.64 22.73 44

ST 75.00 25.00 0.00 4

DT 50.00 0.00 50.00 6

NT 36.36 18.18 45.45 11

Muslim 33.33 55.56 11.11 9

Total 34.16 27.16 38.68 243

Water related work

Chart 4: Person fetching water, percentage of households

65.948.44

20.31

5.31Female

Male

Both

Noresponse

Time and distance

Source ownership Distance (meters)

Time (hours) 

Self private 78 0.30 

Others private 280 1.33 

Public 314 1.07 

River 36 0.50 

Utilisation of water-non paid work

Work Cooking Washing utensils Washing Clothes

Female 99.7 99.7 99.7

Male 0.3 0.3 0.3

Both 0.0 0.0 0.0

No response 0.0 0.0 0.0

Total HH covered 320

Non paid work: Water for production

Who does the work

Ploughing

Sowing Weeding Harvesting Selling farm products

Supervision of labour

Male 44.03 58.85 1.23 2.88 74.49 29.63

Female 0.00 0.82 69.96 35.80 2.47 27.98

Both 0.41 4.53 20.99 51.85 2.47 11.11

Rent 51.44 31.69 2.88 4.12 0.00 0.00

Not Applicable 4.12 4.12 4.94 5.35 20.58 31.28

Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

Costs borne by women

Average distance traveled for fetching water (km)0.18

Average time spent in fetching water from one main source (in hours) 1

Average time spent in utilising water for domestic needs- (cooking, cleaning utensils, washing vessels) hours 5.6

Participation in water institutions

• Participation: important as indicator from point of view of access

• In our villages lack of participation among women as well as men

• In all domestic water, irrigation and watershed related institutions

Summary of findings

Caste

Ownership of Well/bore well

More than 40 lpcd water available

Average water available (lpcd)

Sanitation access

Land ownership

Irrigated land (among total landowners

Water equipment (motor pump, pipeline etc)

Participation in committees Total

Open 65.24 66.46 90 42.07 88.41 82.07 76.83 0.61 164

OBC 42.86 59.52 58 45.24 57.14 83.33 59.52 4.76 42

SC 25.71 51.43 48 48.57 62.86 36.36 41.43 0.00 70

ST 20.00 50.00 34 20.00 40.00 75.00 40.00 0.00 10

DT 75.00 37.50 41 62.50 75.00 100.00 75.00 0.00 8

NT 57.14 71.43 81 28.57 78.57 81.82 78.57 0.00 14

Muslim 16.67 66.67 41 58.33 75.00 44.44 50.00 8.33 12

Total 50.31 61.25 71 43.75 75.94 72.84 64.69 1.25 320