DIPLOMARBEIT - ÖH Uni Wien - Universität Wien

1. Introduction1.1. Problem Statement and ObjectivesThere is enough water on earth for everybody. Nevertheless, more than one billion people,that is 18% of the world`s population, do not have access to clean water and about 2.5 billionpeople do not have access to proper sanitation facilities. Five million people die every yeardue to water-borne diseases and lack of hygiene, two million of them are children who die ofdiarrhoea (Momsen 2004: 117). These circumstances entail serious consequences and result ina viscious circle. Lack of safe water causes illness which leads to unemployment which, inturn, results in poverty. Thus, water and poverty are closely related issues. In order toeradicate poverty, everybody needs to be provided with access to clean water. But that is notenough. Besides water and sanitation, another essential precondition of poverty reduction isgender equality since most of the time women are the ones who are responsible for watermangement in developing countries. “The human right to water is essential for achievingother human rights and international development commitments in critical areas such asgender equality, sustainable development, and poverty eradication” (WEDO 2003: 3). Thismeans, also gender equality and access to water and sanitation are closely interconnected andoverlapping issues. Women use water for lots of activities, ranging from cooking and cleaningto bathing children and personal hygiene to doing laundry or dishes. The task of fetchingwater is a very time- and energy-consuming task because safe water is often not availableclose to the women`s home. Hence, they have to walk for hours to the next water source, waitthere a long time with many other women until it is their turn and then walk home again forhours with a 20 litres bucket on their heads or shoulders. It is estimated that women andchildren in Africa spend about 40 billion hours every year with fetching and carrying water(UNIFEM 2008/09: 130). So it is the women who hold control over water and sanitation andtherefore it is them who have major influence on water distribution, water usage and thus,poverty reduction. Due to that fact, it is crucial to include women in water and sanitationprojects of development cooperation, to give them the same rights as men and to empowerthem in every way. Women`s needs and demands have to be considered, their knowledgerecognized and the provision of water and sanitation facilities improved. There has to be anincreased participation of women in water projects and measures have to be taken in order toempower them. The issues women, water and sanitation are overlapping in various sectors.According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) there is an3