Culture, rights and development- How does this affect women and water?

Addressing development concerns must take into account the role of women within the community and household contexts. Women are responsible for most household activities, which are crucial for their wellbeing as well as their households. This blog will explore women's rights, cultural norms and development strategies in the context of some rural communities in the Volta Region of Ghana, East Africa. 

Map showing the Volta River region, Ghana

Women's rights 

Access to resources varies between men and women. Power imbalances that underly access to resources and ownership are directly nuanced by gender. Women have limited control over resources because of patriarchal land ownership systems, which vary between African countries. This means that women are dependent on men in terms of their livelihoods and survival, which can decrease their contribution to development. Most women in rural Ghana rely on agriculture to make a living and sustain their households. The land needed for agriculture can only be owned by men, therefore women have usufruct rights, which are based on their relationship to a man- husband, father or other male relative. The wellbeing and prosperity of women economically and socially is infringed upon men, yet women are often responsible for entire households- but why is this?

Women and water in the household 

The responsibilities of women are deeply engrained in patriarchy. Women are traditionally expected to fulfil productive and reproductive work for the household, whereas men are the breadwinners and provide for the family. It is customarily wrong for a women to ask for help with her reproductive work. Water is necessary for the well-being for any household,  therefore it is expected of a woman to fulfil this requirement. Water collection is a highly arduous and time consuming task that is often worsened by lack of appropriate water infrastructure and further exacerbated by droughts. Most rural families in Ghana rely on small scale agriculture for their livelihoods so a lack of water affects the wellbeing and economic situation of the entire household. Men often migrate out of the rural areas to pursue employment in cities, which is only a "coping strategy for men". A study of communities in the Tatale-Sanguli District of Ghana revealed that the long, pronounced dry season causes many difficulties for the women who have to collect water such as loss of time, health implications amongst others. 'Time poverty' is also seen as a constraint to development, as women work long hours to fetch water and have no time to rest or do other activities. 

Women in Ghana planting rice seeds on field (Source)

Water projects and women's involvement 

The Volta River Water Supply Project (VRWSP) aimed at communities in the Volta Region in Ghana- where nearly 70% are subsistence farmers- was created to reduce time spent collecting water and improve sanitation by providing latrines and wells in the area. During drought periods, water collection is especially difficult and women often have to result to a singular economic activity (farming), as they have no time to pursue any others. The results showed that while time collecting water was cut, it was insufficient in lifting the burden of water for irrigation. Most women are largely reliant on agricultural farming for their livelihoods in drought periods, thus require appropriate irrigation systems to support their economic stability and ensure food security for their households. Yet the voices of women concerned with agriculture were not part of the implementation process of the project- a woman from the study stated: 

"help us irrigate our farms ... so that my family would be healthier, and I could also sell my farm products to purchase the clean water"

This shows that water development interventions must therefore, involve women in their implementations to truly make a difference in their lives. Better access to water would mean less time spent collecting it, making agriculture more efficient and therefore economically beneficial. By increasing women’s economic power, this can rebalance power imbalances within communities and within households in decision making and resource allocation. This could act as a catalyst for the procurement of more inclusive legal rights, which can empower women and thus aid in general development. 

The wider context

To explain further- a study on gendered livelihoods noted that international and NGO development projects superimpose western, capitalist agendas all of which have negative effects on the participation of women in projects. Pre-existing patriarchal norms, Western interference and Neo-colonial ideologies continue to hinder women in  development. In most cases women avoid positions in decision making due to lack of English proficiency, name-calling during discussions and lack of personal time to pursue these opportunities. Post-colonial labour divisions lie at the heart of this issue and hinder the involvement of women in decision making. Attempts at addressing development must take into account the roles played by women as without this, women's contribution to development is rendered invisible.