Sijbesma, C. … [et al.] (2008). Impacts of domestic water supply on gender and income: results from a participatory study in a drought-prone region in Gujarat, India. Water policy ; vol. 11, no. 1 ; p. 95–105. doi:10.2166/wp.2009.011

This paper investigates the impact of domestic water supply on economic development and gender relations in rural households in a drought-prone area of Gujarat, India. A comparative study executed with participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods with groups of women from 11 micro-enterprises in ten villages and five control villages showed that, when an improved domestic water supply does not function, the entrepreneur groups have a statistically higher loss of the economic use of water and time than the control groups. The extra income that women gain when the supply works is used to help poor families to bridge the dry season. Male-female gender relations were also significantly better in the entrepreneur group. This was not so for mother-daughter relationships, which gave new insights into the need to address gender equality issues with the women themselves and with the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), the supporting agency.

Related publication: Verhagen, J. … [et al.] (2004). Linking water supply and poverty alleviation : the impact of women’s productive use of water and time on household economy and gender relations in Banaskantha District, Gujarat, India. (Occasional paper series / IRC; no. 36). Delft, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. Download here

Contact: Christine Sijbesma, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Netherlands, e-mail: sybesma@irc.nl

Tags: gender, south asia, water and livelihoods, water supply