Sustainability Planning and Monitoring

Box 22 Gender and poverty analysis of activities profileThe activity is preferably done with several female and male focus groups in the poor and well-off parts of the community.Alternatively, it is done with the full local water and sanitation committee and other community leaders, both female and male, butthis limits the information and analysis to a smaller group.PurposeTo visualize the division of skilled and unskilled work between women and men, rich and poor, in constructing and maintaining thewater supply and/or sanitation facilities.ProcessThrough discussion, the group determines which jobs members of the community perform for the water supply or sanitationservices, such as hand pump caretaker, tap attendant, hygiene promoter, treasurer, secretary, chairperson or member of the watercommittee, water system administrator, operator, or latrine mason.The facilitator then asks participants to lay out a table (matrix) on the ground. It may be done with the help of cards (for labels),pictures (depicting women and men and skilled and unskilled work) or real life symbols (e.g., implements indicating the various typesof work). Lines are drawn or laid out with the help of thread or rope. One column is for men, the other for women. On the right handside the two rows are labeled, or marked with pictures illustrating “unskilled, low-status work” and “skilled, high-status work.”Through discussion, the participants divide the identified local jobs into work that is mainly physical and has a low status and workthat is skilled and has a high status. The participants agree on the jobs that belong in a certain category and enter the job namesor pictures or symbols in the unskilled/low status and skilled/high status categories.Using colored slips, beans and other materials, the participants then place the number of women and men who carry out therespective functions in the respective boxes (see drawing below).Men WomenSkilled,■ ■ ■high-status work ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■Unskilled, ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■low-status work■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ Wealthier households■ Poor householdsAnalysisParticipants review who does skilled work and who does unskilled work and what the gender implications are. For example, aremost poor women doing unskilled work while skilled work is done by men? They reflect on the amount of time and labor involvedand on the value of the work for the community and the implications for the person(s) involved and their families. Discussion isfacilitated on underlying reasons and what can be done to make the situation more equitable.NB: For skilled work, such as operator, it is important to check who carries out this work, the operator him/herself or also some of his/her relatives,e.g., when operator is absent. The same exercise (separately or in a combined table) may be done for paid and unpaid labor and for jobs withoutand with training.51