Message 25: Mary Njenga

Mary Njenga responds mentioning that there is often a gender dimension to the design of water regimes, and the implementation, where women and children are most often required to carry out the work. Like Patricia Kabatabazi (message 24) she also sees that stakeholder analysis needs to take into consideration who performs which activities while being sensitive to the gender categories in various types of work in a particular region.

Why is it important to mainstream a gender perspective in agricultural water management? (A maximum of 3 points preferably with supporting cases or examples)

Various gender categories such as adult men and women, youth men and women and boys and girls carry out different activities in water use and management for urban agriculture (UA). For example in Nairobi wastewater farming involves all gender categories and women are the majority. In the production to marketing chain for example you find that men are more in the farm while women are in trading. There is therefore need to know who is involved in what activities for the success and sustainability of any interventions in wastewater use for UA. Due to differences in roles played by different gender categories in wastewater irrigated agriculture, you find that the health risks also have a gender dimension and need to be considered when developing mitigations measures. For instance when suggesting switching of crops as a mitigation measure in reducing health risk there is need to put into considerations who grows what crops.

Decision making in water management for UA has also a gender dimension where you may find that watering regimes are designed by men but executed by women and children and hence one need this kind of information when determining stakeholders and actors in technology transfer.

Accessing resources such as land in urban agriculture on which water management activities are carried out, for instance puts women in a disadvantaged position as there area no well laid down procedures and it’s a survival for the fittest game.

What are the real issues that challenge the integration of gender concerns into water management and agriculture? (3 points with evidence-supporting cases and examples)

Gendering research tools to allow collection of information that brings out gender issues.

Scientists embracing participatory research and gender analysis in their projects and programmes.

Clear understanding and awareness of what gender means other than it being interpreted as women issues

Why is gender not mainstreamed in water management in agriculture? (3 points with evidence)

Gender issues are more often than not ignored and taken as obvious issues that have no significant role in scientific research and hence when the research findings are translated into policies, gender dimensions lack.

Gender has not been considered as a cross cutting theme in all disciplines just like policy

Best regards

Mary Njenga

Urban Harvest CIP