Gender, water and integrity – first outcomes of e-conference

“Male irrigators may meet with male canal operators in seafood bars and drink and joke with them. For women, this is not a possible option, as it would reflect very badly on their social status”.

This is a quote from a contribution to the electronic conference (e-conference) series on Gender, Water and Integrity facilitated by the GWA Secretariat from March 26 till May 13, 2007. During the conference the following three topics were discussed:

a) corruption in the water sectors: the different impact on women and men and different practices related to integrity;

b) good practice in breaking with corruption in the water sector;

c) suggestions and strategies for formulating a policy paper on gender, water and integrity.

One of the perceptions shared during the e-conference was that gender roles are culturally and context specific and, although traditionally based, can and do change. Corruption is not a product of gender, but the roles that women and men play and the power they have are crucial. Corruption requires a facilitating environment, and men and women have different opportunities to influence social and legal arrangements in water distribution. These cultural issues tend to reduce the level of participation of women in corrupt practices, and therefore tend to make their actions more transparent and honest.

Women more vulnerable

It was argued that the cultural roles of women as managers of domestic water and household care-givers, makes them vulnerable to corrupt practices, since women are less likely to have sufficient social capital to be able to buy themselves immunity from these practices.

Others argued that women are not necessarily the victims of corruption, as corruption does not always reduce access to clean water. In cases where public or ‘regular’ water service provision is failing, corruption may actually be designed to increase access to clean water. Poor people in general and women in particular, often have to rely on corrupt practices or alternative mechanisms of accessing water. Conversely, they have the least resources available to do so.

Mobilisation and participation needed

Social mobilisation processes are considered very important in understanding the complexity and the fight against corruption in the water sector, and participatory approaches with a gender focus are perceived as possible solutions. The broadening of the ownership of and participation in the decision-making process, is very important as this increases transparency and so reduces the possibility of corrupt practices. However, real participation is sometimes prohibited by existing systems, structures, ideologies and cultures. Women are sometimes subordinate to men and cannot always voice their needs.

Contributions to this e-conference will be used as inputs for an international workshop GWA hopes to organise together with members and with global and local partners. The outcomes of the e-conference and the workshop will be used to produce a policy paper on Gender, Water and Integrity.

The summaries of each discussion topic are uploaded here.