Module 2. Theorethical Concepts of Gender - FSN Network Portal

Mainstreaming Gender into Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programs
Module 2: Theoretical Concepts of Gender
Lesson 8: Social Vulnerability and WASH
Having convenient amenities and plenty of water on tap, enables women to
maintain more hygienic standards. Access to a yard tap doubles the chance
of a mother washing her hands after a child goes to the toilet, and washing
soiled clothes immediately. Therefore, with insufficient water, children are not
cleaned regularly, hands are not washed enough times throughout the day
(especially after the toilet, before the preparation of food and before eating),
and generally the standards of hygiene and sanitation are low.
A drop in sanitation standards greatly increases the risk of diarrhoea for the
whole family. Diarrhoea is a major public health concern due to its cause of
infant mortality and its association with child malnutrition. Diminishing
personal hygiene also links directly to the increased transmission of
waterborne diseases, in a process described as the ‘short cycle’ (excreta –
hand – mouth). This risk of contracting waterborne diseases is increased for
women and children who travel great distances for water, or access it from
open natural sources, such as lakes and rivers.
Not surprisingly, Water Aid found that incidents of scabies, diarrhoea,
bilharzias and yaws (infectious skin disease) decreased in Ethiopia, Ghana
and Tanzania with greater access to water (UNDP, 2003). The households
that recorded a 10 percent increase in water supply for cleaning purposes
enjoyed a 1.3 percent decrease in diarrhoea.
In relation to sanitation, a family’s resources will dictate where they defecate,
and in turn, where people defecate has a significant impact on a family’s
health. Households with private toilets have measurably lower morbidity rates
than households without them.
Another important influence on poor people is irrigation, by far the largest user
of the world’s water.
In most countries, access to irrigated water is affected by race, social status
and gender. For example, in 2002 in South Africa, only 5 percent of the
irrigated water went to black farmers (Rathgeber, 2003). The lack of access to
irrigated water means that poor farmers are dependent upon rainwater for
meeting their basic needs. In terms of food security, this is often risky, as they
are then susceptible to environmental change, such as drought.
Previously, irrigation has not been a topic of major concern within water
management in Rwanda. In 2004, the FAO found that none of the country’s
arable land was irrigated (FAO, 2004, Rwanda: Country Profile). As such, and
in the wake of recent droughts, irrigation has become a high priority for the
FAO.
Lastly, when considering the relationship between poverty and water, it is
important to note that some groups are neglected. For example, the Batwa in
Rwanda remain particularly vulnerable to water shortages. This group’s water
quality problems are a result of a history of dispossession and
marginalization. Due to their lack of sovereignty over natural resources,
A Training Manual for Water Professionals developed collaboratively by PROTOS and SNV, 01/02/2007
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