The document describes the development and piloting of a Gender in Irrigation Learning and Improvement Tool (GILIT). The tool was developed based on research evidence and peer reviewed. It was then piloted in irrigation schemes in Malawi and Uzbekistan. The piloting revealed that while national policies aim to improve gender equality, local social and cultural contexts still influence scheme management and outcomes. The tool was found to facilitate discussion about gender issues, but may need simplification for ease of use. Further refinement of the tool could help it continue contributing lessons learned at the policy and program level.

1. Improving learning in irrigation:
What approaches can improve participation
and benefits for women?
Nicole Lefore, Elizabeth Weight, Nozilakhon Mukhamedova
13 March 2018
Webinar

2. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Demand from donors and governments:
Project/scheme level learning tool for gender
equitability in irrigation
How can we…
 assess, report and improve gender equitability on
irrigation projects?
 assess across geographical areas and types of irrigation
schemes?
 use a tool across different institutions and with different
expertise/capabilities?
 focus on what is in the project scope of control?

3. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Gender in Irrigation Learning and
Improvement Tool - GILIT
PROCESS TO DEVELOP TOOL
1. Based on research evidence
2. Peer reviewed
3. Piloted
4. Edited/adapted with partner organizations

4. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Modules, questions and scoring built on
evidence
Levels of equitability in 3 areas across project cycle
1. Access to scheme resources: information, land,
water, inputs)
2. Participation in scheme management: membership,
leadership, decision-making
3. Access to scheme benefits: market
information/support, services, revenue

5. sustainable solutions for people and societies
GILIT Tool: 5 Components
Section A:
Access to
Scheme
Resources
Section B:
Participation
in Scheme
Governance
Section C:
Benefits
from the
Scheme
Component 5:
Action Questions
Component 1: Context

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Component 1
• National and sub-national environment
• Data: Policy documents, budget
allocations, etc.
• Not scored
GILIT Tool: Component 1
Component 1: Context

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Section A:
Access to
Scheme
Resources
Section B:
Participation
in Scheme
Governance
Section C:
Benefits
from the
Scheme
Component 1: Context
• Access to land, water, and inputs
• Data: Discussions with women and men
• Score: Compare to “optimal”
GILIT Tool: Component 2 (Section A)

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Section A:
Access to
Scheme
Resources
Section B:
Participation
in Scheme
Governance
Section C:
Benefits
from the
Scheme
Component 1: Context
• Participation in
governance
• Data: Discussions
• Score: Compare to
“optimal”
GILIT Tool: Component 3 (Section B)

9. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Section A:
Access to
Scheme
Resources
Section B:
Participation
in Scheme
Governance
Section C:
Benefits
from the
Scheme
Component 1: Context
• Benefits
• Data:
Discussions
• Score: Compare
to “optimal”
GILIT Tool: Component 4 (Section C)

10. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Section A:
Access to
Scheme
Resources
Section B:
Participation
in Scheme
Governance
Section C:
Benefits
from the
Scheme
Component 5:
Action Questions
GILIT Tool: Component 5
Component 1: Context
• Ideas for
improvement
• Data:
Discussions
• Not Scored

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GILIT Tool: Scoring
 Sections A, B and C scored
 Higher score = greater
gender equality
 Weighted scoring for
Section B (Governance)
and Section C (Benefits)
 Quantitative scores enable
comparisons

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GILIT Tool: Key Considerations
1. Adaptable
2. Snapshot in time
3. Supports reflection and analysis
4. Gender equality is complex

13. Piloting of GILIT:
Case from 2 irrigation schemes in Malawi

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Piloting methodology
Where: Malawi
How: Interviews and discussion groups
Timeframe: 1.5 to 3 hours (all sections/modules)
Where: On scheme/in field
When: Usual time to be on farm
Who: Scheme participants, project managers, local
NGOs, local extension (100+ respondents)

15. www.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
Malawi Pilot Sites
Kaziputa Lufilya

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Pilot Results: Access to scheme resources
Kaziputa Lufilya
Self score: 27 of 33
Constraints:
 Domestic water needs not
considered: washing, livestock
 Lack of access to inputs so
women have fewer plots
Suggestions to improve:
 new arrangements for fines for
improper water use
Self score: NA, > Qs on planning
Constraints:
 Domestic water needs not
considered: washing, livestock
 Land in name of male head of
household
 Polygamy splits subsidies and
inputs if given by household
Suggestions to improve:
 Beyond scope of scheme
manager (change culture)

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Pilot Results: Participation in scheme
management
Kaziputa Lufilya
Self score: 23 of 24
Constraints:
 No formal constraints to be
member, vote, stand for
positions, speak/be heard,
attend trainings
 Women do not take executive
positions – meetings too far
 Club leadership has ‘changed’
the women
Suggestions to improve:
Bicycles to get to meetings
Self score: 19 of 24
Constraints:
 Women are “strangers”; members
must be land owners
 Many constraints to go to meetings,
vote, be heard
 NGOs work for more equality
through gender mainstreaming, but
only work with the women
Suggestions to improve:
 Women to have cell phones;
scheme formally communicates to
women on meetings, elections,
trainings and their rights
 Civic education to change culture

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Pilot Results: Access to benefits
Kaziputa Lufilya
Self score: 16.4 of 21
Constraints:
Women and men do not access
information equally: transportation to
field days, radio owned by men
Men control marketing of produce, but
now have committee including women
Suggestions to improve:
 Extension wants more access for
women to learning events
 Scheme execs need bicycles
Self score: 11.85 of 21
Constraints:
 Women cannot ‘sit on same chair’
as men; re: face to face extension
 Women don’t speak in front of in-
laws
 Men control marketing and no
transparency in revenue
Suggestions to improve:
 Women-owned businesses could
trade with the scheme
 Men: NGO provides enough to
women and scheme does not need
to do more

19. Nozilakhon Mukhamedova
Webinar 13 March 2018
Piloting of GILIT (2)
Case: 7 WCAs in Uzbekistan

20. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Piloting in Uzbekistan - Household water users

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Uzbekistan Pilot Sites

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Results: Access to scheme resources
WCA management & Large scale
farmers
Households
Self score: 18 of 33
Constraints:
 Women were excluded from
scheme planning and decision
making processes
 Only large farm needs were
included into the main
beneficiaries
 Standardized irrigations schemes
(absence of context)
Self score: 8 of 33
Constraints:
 Not aware about the existence of the
scheme and their rights to participate
 Domestic water needs not considered:
washing, livestock

23. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Piloting in Uzbekistan (WCA members)

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Self score: 16 of 24
Constraints:
 Only large farms (male) are invited
to the meetings of WCA
 Women consider that they will not
be heard.
Self score: 4 of 24
Constraints:
 Lack of formal representation of
households in the WCAs
 absence of formal mechanisms
requiring WCAs to consider irrigation
needs for household production
 significant and negative impact on
women’s ability to produce food for
their families.
WCA management & Large scale
farmers
Households
Results: Participation in scheme management

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Piloting in Uzbekistan (Household producers)

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Results: Access to benefits
Self score: 13 of 21
Constraints:
 Irrigation scheme accounts only
crop water requirements and
irrigated area to create irrigation
schedule
 State-order crops and irrigation
preferences
 WCA manages water, but does
not provide training or any other
services.
Self score: 5 of 21
Constraints:
 Tail-end households receive
insufficient water or services,
although they make all the
payments to the scheme.
 Water conflicts between large
farmers and household producers.
 No schedule or clarity regarding
water to households.
WCA management & Large scale
farmers
Households

27. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Summary of piloting in
Uzbekistan
• Lack of formal representation of
households in WCA
• Absence of formal mechanisms
requiring WCAs to consider
irrigation needs for household
production
• Mismatch + gender-biased
approaches= negatively impact
small scale, female producers

28. Pilot Results and Lessons

29. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Pilot Results: Improving gender equitability
on irrigation schemes
1. National policy/guidelines do not change local social and
cultural context (reflected in scheme management and
equity outcomes)
2. Equity in access to resources and participation in
management, but not equity in benefits
3. Separate planning for domestic and irrigation remains an
issue; increases potential for conflict later
4. Land access arrangements affect participation, but not
always as expected (seasonal access, titles/tenure)
5. State, NGOs and project managers play different roles in
gender on scheme (NGO mainstream gender, scheme can
take gender specific actions)

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Pilot Results: Tool assessment and refining
1. Little difference in scoring (men and women)
2. Explanations and suggestions differed by gender
3. Discussions more important than scores to participants
4. Solutions offered not all implementable
5. Women more likely to offer solutions where equitability is
already higher.
6. Requires simplification and clear instructions; useful to
develop localized fact sheets
Is there still the need for the tool to contribute lessons at
policy, programs level?

31. sustainable solutions for people and societies
Gender in Irrigation: Learning and Improvement Tool
(GILIT)
• Addresses demand,
specific needs
• Research-based
• Participatory, self-
assessment
• Weighted scoring
• Focus on scheme level
solutions
Photo credit: Timothy Adei/Team 1000 Words

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