1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
Center for Policy Studies
CIIT Islamabad.
Issue Brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Senior Program officer, CPS
An Overview of Women and Water in Pakistan (Series – Volume 1)
“Women are the primary users, providers
and managers of water”. (WSP 2010, WB)
W ater is vital for all forms of life,
including human development. It is the
life blood for any agricultural and industrial
growth. Historically, woman has been closely
associated with water in most cultures of the
world as the primary providers and managers of
water in their household.
Water Sanitation
Women
Hygiene
Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies
Country Profile: Pakistan
Population: 190 million (July 2012 est)
15-24 years: 21.7% (male 21,283,907/female 19,951,750)
25-54 years: 34.5% (male 34,171,096/female 31,564,622)
15-24 years: 21.7% (male 21,283,907/female 19,951,750)
25-54 years: 34.5% (male 34,171,096/female 31,564,622)
Improved Sanitation: urban: 72% of population.
Rural: 29% of population. Total: 45% of population
unimproved Sanitation: urban: 28% of population
rural: 71% of population. Total: 55% of population
Pakistan ranks on 120th number on the Gender-related
Development Index (Index Mundi internet source)
Unfortunately, the connection between women
and water has been generally trivialized in
Pakistan as well as in many developing
countries. This is limited to drinking water
management and to essential uses of water such
as washing, bathing and sanitary use in a
household. However, there is a need to step
beyond this myopic vision and explore the
broader dimensions of water usage by women.
This issue brief attempts to highlight the connect
between women and water by including
domestic, agriculture, health and sanitation,
organization and research based dimensions of
water usage involving women.
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 1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
Box A Water Availability: In surface water out of which, 104 MAF is diverted
WHO/UNICEF Joint 1951, the per capita from barrages to various canals. On average,
Monitoring Program
(JMP) for Water Supply
availability of water in about 50.3 MAF is extracted from ground water
and Sanitation defines Pakistan was 5500 cubic reserves.iv
‘access’ interpreted
proportion of meters; it has now drastically Future projections show that by 2025, per capita
population access to an
adequate amount of safe declined to about 1000 cubic availability of water in Pakistan will be around
drinking water located
within a convenient meters, mainly due to 500 cubic meters . This reflects a very
distance from the user’s
dwelling. JMP Access
population growth. Pakistan, alarming situation as it implies scarcity of water
to drinking water means being an agrarian country is to the extent of a famine-like situation. The
that the source is less
than 1 kilometer away highly dependent on fresh estimates of the overall gap between water
from its place of use
and that it is possible to water resources for its supply and demand vary in different reports,
reliably obtain at least
20 liters per member of economic development. though it is estimated that it will be around 26
a household per day
(WHO)
Agriculture contributes MAF, despite various measures of efficiency and

about 21% of its GDP productivity improvement. Such a dire situation

Box B
whereas 64% of people will create more demand and challenges for
Water scarcity
involves water stress, depend on agriculture. women as managers and providers of water
water shortage or resources.
Moreover, 80% of the rural
deficits, and water
crisis. workforce depends on water
The concept of water
stress is relatively new. resources and around 60 to
Water stress is the 70% of exports are
difficulty of obtaining
sources of fresh water agriculture based.i
for use, because of With 180 million of
depleting resources.
A water crisis is a population--at least 45 per-
situation where the
cent of urban population and
available potable,
unpolluted water within nearly 90 per cent of the
a region is less than that
region's demand.
rural population--does not
www.wikipedia.org have access to clean
water for drinking and cooking purposesii. In
2008, over 94% of water was used for irrigation,
1% in industry and 5% in the domestic sectoriii.
Pakistan, receives on the average
annually about 141 million acre feet (MAF) of

Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies Page 2


Box C
Biopolitics relates to the location (supply) of water, the ownership of (control over) water and about access (rights) to water – and the
implications of these relationships with water on life as a whole. (Nidhi Tandon 2007)
Women’s Roles in Domestic Water
The sub-sector of domestic water is an important
facet in water sector that accounts for societal
and bio-political challenges faced
women in urban and rural areas. Women are
essentially the water managers (cooking and
washing), procurers, laborers, water users as well
as facilitators for uses of water by other members
of the family. They are also actively involved in
the use of drinking water, sanitation, cleaning
and bathing while acting as household managers.
Water is of primary importance for rural and
urban women; water supply resources, such as
simple wells, hand and electric pumped supplies,
piped supplies, springs, water tanks, ponds,
streams, rivers and irrigation canals affect
women's involvement in the provision of water
for household work differently. These resources
determine the actual distribution of water for
multifarious usage in different areas and relegate
diversified daily chores in the use of water for
urban and rural household work.
Normally, a woman’s household work dealing
with water, consumes one half to one-third of the
day in semi-urban and rural areas.v A significant
proportion of this time is devoted to fetching and
storing water for domestic purposes. Women
Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies
1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
bear severe social and economic opportunity cost
by spending too much time and energy
concerned with water issues, than resulting in
illness, physical hardships and girls drop out of
schoolsvi as discussed below.
by
Urban Women and Domestic Water
Usually in urban areas, water is supplied through
piped network in households by municipal
authorities such as the WASA and other
authorities. Because of growing water shortages,
private wells are also being bored in homes. In
addition, water is also procured through portable
water tankers. Generally, there is now greater
awareness to get safe drinking water; therefore in
urban areas, there are public water filtration
plants or in more posh areas individual house
filter plants. Women in urban area typically use
water while performing different household
duties as follows:
1. They are responsible for cleaning,
laundry, food preparation and managing
drinking water in homes.
2. They also do budgeting for the household
consumption of water and in
industrialized and urban area water
purchasing puts more constraints
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 1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013

on household budget. In extreme income and poor urban groups which is

summer, water for domestic use is time consuming task for women.
purchased @ Rs 1000-1500 per tanker,
especially in highly populated cities.vii.
3. They store water and observe public
water supply schedule to avoid
inconvenience.
4. They also manage water to be brought
from public water filter plants.

Box D
Populous and water scarce cities such as Karachi, Islamabad and in other cities, water for bathing and for all domestic use
is purchased from local municipalities through water containers.

5. Electric water pump also increases

responsibilities of women to switch on
Rural women and Domestic Water
and off the water pump in time to store
water.
Sources of water in rural areas are wells, tanks,
6. Women also perform water procurement
ponds, streams, rivers and canals. In some rural
duties for drinking and ensuring safe
areas hand pumps are also used for water supply
drinking water through boiling in middle
Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies Page 4

for household. In rural areas women perform
more or less the same duties as urban women but
there are some extra responsibilities.
1. The average time spent by women
collecting water as compared to urban
counterparts is much more.
Issues to be Explored
1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
economic tasks, increasing workloads,
loss of leisure and loss of self respect.
7. Women also suffer disproportionately
due to imposed responsibility of water
fetching and, therefore, limited time is
left for education and health care.xi

Broader perspective is called for exploring in

2. Scarcity of water compels women to
domestic water and role of women in both urban
collect water after travelling long
and rural areas. Further work is required to study
distances. This is reflected in physical
the following aspects:
hardships especially carrying rubber cans,
as in Turbat, Balochistanviii.
i. Effects of domestic water sector
3. Providing water for animals is also
responsibilities on socio-economic
predominantly considered as women’s
opportunities for women.
responsibility.
ii. Effects of domestic water on health of
4. The time consumed in collecting water
women.
affects women’s performance in more
iii. Effects of domestic water time consumed
important domestic tasks e.g., in Thar
on family life and responsibilities other
Desert, women usually travel ten miles a
than managing household water.
day for water collectionix. A study shows
iv. Ways and the means in creating a gender
that women daily walk for two hours
balance in meeting requirements of water
from home to collect water and on an
for household sector.
average; mostly villagers spend up to six
hours a day fetching waterx. Women and Water in Agriculture
5. Rural women also carry laundry to open
In the agricultural sector of Pakistan, securing
places near the banks of rivers and
water is the task of men-folk although women
canals.
also make essential contributions in agricultural
6. The hard task of carrying water from the
and rural economies. For instance, women play a
source is non remunerative and time
key role in water access, watershed management
consuming. This valuable time the
and rainwater harvesting in the rural areas of
women could spend in other social
Pakistan. Over 70 percent of women in Pakistan
activities. This means neglect in

Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies Page 5

 1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
xii
are the labor force in agricultural sector. They iv. Training of women in agricultural sector,
perform multiple functions in water usage in particularly in areas of efficiency
irrigation operations, including water deliveries, improvement.
livestock watering, fishing and gardening in the
Women, Health and Water
kitchen.
Women are affected due to poor quality and
1. In addition to normal household tasks of
inadequate water for sanitation. They play a
fetching water and fuel, cooking and
major role in looking after family health,
taking care of children, women help men
domestic water supply and sanitation. Their
in agricultural sector in water
responsibility in water sanitation and health has
management.

Box E
The largest number of Chemical substances in the environment is produced from the waste from industrial and
agricultural processes. These chemicals enter the air as emissions and water as effluent and many chemicals are toxic
and they are harmful to the environment and to our health. Wikipedia,

different implications in urban and rural areas.

However many water policies of agriculture in
Pakistan tend to marginalize women, as they
Generally, the quality of drinking water in
focus on men in training, creating awareness in
Pakistan is not up to the standard. National
the use of the agricultural water and resource
Drinking Water Policy of Pakistan (2009)
management.
acknowledges the equitable access to safe
drinking water as the fundamental right of all
Challenges to be Examined
citizens. Water quality tests by different labs
Several issues are required to be explored such
show 88% of the water supply below standard in
as;
urban areas.xiii Sub-standard quality of drinking
i. Women participation in agricultural
water not only has harmful effect on health of
water as resource managers, irrigators
females but also adds to responsibilities such as
and farmers.
boiling the water, filtering, safe storage in
ii. Their role in promoting efficient use of
uncontaminated bottles and collection from safe
water.
sources. Collection of water from long distance
iii. Tasks during rain harvesting and efficient
sources and contamination may lead to adverse
use of rain water for irrigation.
Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies Page 6
Box F
1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
Wikipedia ‘Lead is a chemical element, Drinking water can also
economy almost Rs. 112 billion per year in
have dangerously high levels of lead. Lead rarely found in
water at its source. The water becomes contaminated as it health expenses.xvi
moves through the water distribution system. The lead can
come from lead pipes or connectors; lead solder used to connect Women health and water is a neglected sector in
pipes and fumes; brass fixtures; and lead lined tanks in water research in Pakistan, although it is a well known
coolers.
health fact that contaminated water is the main cause
effects such as, lesions, hardening of skin, dark for diseases such as diarrhea, hepatitis and
spots and swollen limbs.xiv various infections. Furthermore, as reported in an
Massive urban growth is putting extra burden on article, in Pakistan, water and sanitation-related
women for maintaining health and sanitation. diseases are said to account for 60 per cent of the
Only 47 percent of people in Pakistan have total child mortality cases.xvii
access to sanitationxv. Sanitary duties are
Future Research in Women, Health and
women's responsibilities in urban and rural areas,
Water: Perspectives to be Examined
undertaken either by the woman of the house or
i. Causes of poor water quality and impacts
by hiring maid servants. Consequently, women
on urban, rural and poor urban class cross
are more exposed to health hazards due to
sections.
sanitary waste. The poor level of sanitation
ii. Impacts of sanitary duties on health of
sometimes causes serious health problems, such
women.
as cancer, lung disease or pregnancy
iii. Impacts on women's health due to water
complications due to presence of chemicals
sector involvement of women.
and other harmful materials in the environment.

Women in Water related Institutions and

Women who remain exposed for long to
Research & Development Organizations
pollutants are potentially at risk of severe health
problems during old age. Young girls who are Development plans and policy documents
exposed to ‘lead’ a toxic metal have superficially address gender equality in water but
increased at the risk of high blood pressure and no concrete steps are taken for resolving these
kidney damage. Other factors that contribute to issues. There are several institutions dealing with
the vulnerability of women due to environment water at federal and provincial level, such as
include polluted drinking water, indoor WAPDA, WASA, PCWE, Provincial
pollution, water with residuals of pesticides and Agriculture Department, Provincial Irrigation
fertilizers. As stated by the Federal Ministry of Department and Municipal Water but absence of
the Environment, the diseases related to unsafe women in decision making in these water sector
water and poor sanitation cost Pakistan’s organizations is obvious.

Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies Page 7


In the public water sector organizations, women
are usually employed as supporting staff only but
they are denied a position at the decision making
at higher levels. Furthermore, the working
environment in such organizations is not women-
friendly (flexible working hours, day care centers
for women with kids, separate toilets and direct
complaint cell & prompt redressed). There is
thus a need for strong institutional framework to
address equitable and gender responsive policies
for employment and policy decisions.
Mostly men are trained on the engineering side
in the water issues, including purification and
management of water sources and in bodies.
Infrastructure based water projects have also
marginalized woman's exposure in the water
domain. Therefore, there is also the need to
involve women in programs for water sector
training and education as well as for
identification of women friendly technologies for
less educated and rural women.
Research and development organizations in the
water sector are not mainstreaming women and
water programs. Women can provide many
practical input and better applications for water
conservation and usage.
Challenges to be scanned
i. Need to study legal issues pertaining
women protection in organizations and
improvement of work environments in
order to facilitate participation of women.
Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies
1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
ii. Collection and analysis of ground
situation in participation and facilities for
women in various utilities and R&D
organizations.
Of late, women and water issue has emerged
as an area meriting serious consideration for
women empowerment and development. This
bears on welfare of families and society as a
whole. There is a need for further research in
each of the dimensions brought out in this issue
paper by seminars, surveys and great analytical
work by following the best practices of other
countries.
(Kalsoom Sumra, Sr Program Officer Research,
Center for Policy Studies CIIT, Islamabad.)
Acknowledgement: This issue brief was
prepared under the supervision of Mr. Ashfaq
Mehmood (Ex secretary Ministry of Water &
Power Pakistan).
i
Pakistan Economic Survey 2012
ii
Water Quality Status in Rural Areas of Pakistan 2010,
Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources
(PCRWR).
iii
The World’s Water, Volume 7, 2008.
iv
Ministry of Food Security, Government of Pakistan.
v
Water Aid Pakistan 2012
vi
Water Advocates 2010.
vii
CDA Water Tanker Refilling Station, Islamabad.
viii
Study of Rural Access and Mobility, WB/Raasta, 2002.
ix
Water Aid in Pakistan Project 2012.
x
Water Aid in Pakistan Project 2012.
xi
Pakistan country side 2004, Evaluation of WFP enabling
Development Policy.
xii
Labor Survey of Pakistan (2010-11)
xiii
PCRWR Report 2012, functional Water Supply Schemes
xiv
Women, Gender Equality and Climate Change 2012, UN
WomenWatch: www.un.org/womenwatch
The UN Internet Gateway on Gender Equality and
Empowerment of Women
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 1st Quarterly Issue, June 2013
xv
World Health Organization Report in UN Millennium
Development Goals, 2010.
xvi
Water Aid Pakistan 2012
xvii
Saleem Sheikh in an article on March, 2011 at
Dawn.com

Issue brief by Kalsoom Sumra, Centre for Policy Studies Page 9