Women's empowerment through their participation in small scale water resources development projects

Abstract

Government of Bangladesh has taken concrete steps to ensure wornen's participation in development process. National Water Policy was declared and women's participation was highlighted in this. Water resources projects' impleme~ting organintion and institutions has taken it as their mandate to en~ure women's participation in water management (WM) for gender cquality. Small Scale Water Resources Development Sector Projects (SSWRUSP) under ilS first phase has made an attempt to involve women in waler management through formation of water management co-operative association (WMCA). This project aimed at production increase for poverty eradication through proper water management involving the local community This study was aimed at exploring the wOmen's statu~ in the project area of SSWRDSP first phase Wilh special emphasis on women's empowerment through their paliicipatl(ln in WMCA. In this study, women's empowerment due to the project has been measured by some indices, In order to measure empowerment few issues like mobility, deei,ion making power, autonomy, economic empowerment, exposure to intormation, in~titutional involvement, etc, have been u~ed. Using these is~ues, empowerment index of an issue (Et) and composite empowerment index (CEI) for a woman has been calculated. The study has been conducted in Rajban dlstnct. rhree subprojects of SS\VRDSP first phase i,e. B"!famlll"Bhilikhal Flood Control and Drainage (FCD) subproject of Saorail union of Pangsa thana, Heel Sallla Dramage and Water Conservation (DR & WeS) subproject of Haharpur union of Haliakandl thana and n"ra NlIrpur Water conservation (WeS) subproject of Sh"hid Wahabpllr union of sadar lhana of Rajbari distnct have been selected for the study For comparison a control site has been considered, where no water management project was present, Three major areas have been focused in the study, women's empowerment due to pal1icipation in WM, seoping some newer areas of involvement for women in WM and factors that are hindering women's participation and efficient working in WM, It was observed that women who are participating in \\1M arc more empowered in comparison to the control site eEl is the highest in the subproject having the highest level of women's (Baranurpur and Brajamul-Bhitikhal) participation in \Vl'vlCA. Among the subprojects, Beel Salua has the lowest levcl of average CEL Average index for empowerment i~SUe5 was observed to be higher where womcn are more involvcd in WM activities. They have more access and control over decision-making both in hou,ehold and \Vl'vlCA than the wOmen in the control ,ite, Average index for economic empowerment issue was also highest in the project area, (80, 74 and 63 for Brajamul-Rhitikhal, Baranurpur and Beel Salua respectively), wherea, II is 46 for the control site. Approximately 50% orlhe present women involvement in WM is not so satisfactory in terms of rcturn Women in the project area thought that they could contribute more in WM, Women were facing diITerent barriers for panicipating in WM, It was observed that though they are involved in WMCA they could not work efficiently in WMCA due to some gendcr-based gaps in the society. They also pointed out some social, financial, cultural and religiou8 factors that hindered their participation in \VM. The study wil! help in understanding women-s status in WM. The ~tudy has pointed out SOmerecommendations, olllhe basis of which further study can be earricd out