Challenging attitudes - a case study

Changing attitudes is a fundamental component of changing the status quo in any context. In this case, this means changing attitudes about the roles that both men and women have in providing water supplies in Africa, and as such this does not just refer to the roles of water collection, but wider decision-making and allocation of resources within the household.

Following this week’s lecture on community-based water resource management, it seemed logical to explore an example of this with a gendered perspective.

I found an example of water management in Manzire Village, Zimbabwe, which since 2003 has received funding from UNICEF for gender-focused rehabilitation of water management. This example portrays how initial male resistance to women being trained in water management was overcome when it became clear that women were potential agents of change and improvement in their own water supplies. With skill specific training focused on women, men started to ensure that jobs traditionally left to women (such as caring for children) were covered when women were undergoing training.

However, despite the short-term help from the males in the household, problems remained with women enduring increased workloads: maintaining the village water supply was undertaken in addition to traditional domestic tasks. This was solved by input from UNICEF and the Rural District Council, which actively encouraged men to get involved with domestic chores and take on some water management responsibilities.  

This example of gender mainstreaming highlights the importance of recognising and adjusting both men and women’s roles in society when bringing about change – attitudes of both genders needs to be challenged. The Manzire Village case study provides an example where UNICEF, local government and individuals interacted to bring about gender mainstreaming in water management. However, it is important to note that this has not entirely solved water issues in the area: poverty remains a key hindrance to further improving water supplies. As a result, gender mainstreaming ought to be considered as one of many strategies to improving water access; alone it achieves very little, but alongside other development efforts it can contribute greatly to better access and a more equitable society.