Women’s Role In Irrigation Management and Development

1. GENDER AND WATER GOVERNANCE :WOMEN’S
ROLE IN IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT
Dilli R. Prasai
Associate Professor
Tribhuvan University
E-mail dilliprasai@yahoo.com

2. Outline of presentation
 Gender Issues
 Gender : Different Roles & Uses in Water
 Concept : Gender and Irrigation Management & Development
 Linkage : Irrigation Policy and Gender
 Gender Issues for irrigation policy implementation
 Gender Specific Needs of Irrigation Management
 Situation of Women’s Participation in Community Irrigation management
 Nepal’s Situations by MDGs Achievements Review
 Conclusion

3. It is everyone’s right to get the opportunity to reach their full potential. otherwise, it is a waste to that individual; a waste
to the economic benefit of the country; and a waste to society.
Gender is not a women`s issue, it is a
human issue
Let us bring women talent out of home and into the world of research, Science and technology and if
we can use women’s talent, then we can build a sustainable future.

4. Gender : Different roles & uses in water
 Women and girls are usually responsible for the collection of water, which
particularly in rural areas can be time- and labour-intensive. Where there is no
source of water within the home, the task falls to women in more than 65% of
households to collect it
 Women also typically have responsibility for sanitation and hygiene of
households, including of children, and for construction and maintenance of
sanitation facilities.
 Decision-making processes in agricultural water management and other water
projects and initiatives often involve primarily or exclusively men
 Women’s access to water in many places is closely tied in with their access to
land; water usage rights and participation in water management initiatives and
development programmes are typically linked to land ownership, which may be
very difficult for women to obtain.

5. Gender : Irrigation Management and Development
 The first gender and irrigation issue that was raised since the
1980s was that women are important agricultural producers,
who also need access to irrigated agriculture,
 This has far-reaching implications for policy makers and
intervening projects.
 Today’s widespread recognition that women/youth are farm
producers needing income and that there are critical gender
issues in irrigation implies that pointing at women’s roles as
housewives ends being the implicit way to deny or belittle
their roles as producers, as it was in the past.

6. Linkages between Irrigation Policies and Gender
 14th interim Plan developed the Gender in Irrigation Policies
Assessment (GIPA) to analyse national irrigation policy from a
gender perspective and also identify policy gaps and entry points
for making irrigation policies more gender sensitive. This will
help to incorporate gender into involvement of agro-production
and food security.
 This policy will be validated by relevant stakeholders from line
agencies , Academia, development partners , civil society and
others.

7. Key Gender Issues for irrigation policy implementation
 Women will be be given priority :( Affirmative action )
40%)security of land and water rights ,improved access to inputs and
services (credit, marketing),Infrastructure facilities
 In making new investments, multiple uses of water by women will
be be seriously considered
 In line with local cultures and traditions, efforts will be made to
increase the involvement and representation of the women in
irrigation decision making
 Empower women through information, awareness raising and
capacity building properly in community irrigation management .
 Monitoring and evaluation system will be gender sensitive in
irrigation and water rights .

8. Gender Specific Needs of Irrigation Management
Some of the different ways that irrigation affects gender
(women and men) will be reflected in their differential
needs with respect to the irrigation system management
and development i.e
1. The adequacy of water deliveries
2. The equity of water deliveries
3. The convenience of water delivery

9. Situation of Women’s Participation in Community
Irrigation management
 The inclusion of users in operating and managing irrigation
systems most often occurs through the organization of users’
groups or associations. In most irrigation cases, women appear to
be almost absent from those groups
 Current policies to privatize and devolve management of
community irrigation need to increase responsiveness to specific
women's water rights and it should be linked with properly in local
level economic enhancement.
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10. Nepal’s Situations by MDGs Achievements Review
 Water governance, including women’s participation and
the devolution of decision-making authority and the
required resources are very lowest and critical level.
 Lake of participatory and demand-based technology
choice, and fully authority in community irrigation
system .
 A central role for women in planning and managing in
water services in including both urban and rural setting
is very nominal .

11. Gender Issues for Irrigation activities improvement
Gender issues for improvement Expected outputs
 Representation and participation in decision making by
women and men and the youth at all levels;
 Build capacity of men and women to support women
to take up leadership roles
 Representatives of the water use & Water users will at
least 40% women
 Women will constitute at least 40% of trainees in
technical training related to irrigation operation,
management and development of infrastructure
 At least 40% of the water use & Water user members
will be women.
Improved water resources
management, delivery of irrigation
services and irrigation system

12. Some suggestions
 Giving women voice in decision-making for water right issues .
 Making participatory irrigation development beneficial for
women.
 Encouraging women to participate in technical enhancing for
water and irrigation management.
 Enabling women to improve their livelihoods through increased
access to productive resources and knowledge.
 Investment in irrigation and water management infrastructure will
reduce rural-urban migration
Dilli Prasai TU

13. Conclusion
 There are three broad areas in irrigation management and
development ( IMD) which need attention, and where a careful
gender analysis will help to create more effective and equitable
designs and policies:
1. System engineering and design :
Design processes should incorporate consultations with male and female users, so as to
include both of their wishes, needs and requirements.
2. Legal, administrative and organizational arrangements :
Explicit consultations should be held with women users, and women’s ideas and concerns
should be included in water users’ associations in some locally suitable way.
3. System operation :
Water delivery schedules should be devised in such a way as to accommodate both male
and female needs with respect to quantity, timeliness, timing, equity and quality of water
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14. Thank You