Lecture 7_Gender Issues in IWRM

& Bangladesh Experiences -

Integrated Planning & Sustainable Water Management
Project (IPSWAMP)

Dr. Sujit Kumar Bala

Professor on PRL
IWFM, BUET
National Water Policy (1999): NWPo addresses major policy
issues within water sector in a comprehensive manner and
address following issues in keeping with IWRM:

Clause 3b says that water must be available for all,

particularly the poor. Special attention must be paid to the
specific needs and rights of women and children.
Clause 3d states that institutional changes should be
completed to increase the role of women in water
management and in the decentralization of water
management

Clause 3f states that knowledge and capacity must be

developed so that future water resource management
plans can be gender equitable.
Clause 4.16 addresses the participation of
disadvantaged people and says that in any public
water project a minimum of 25 per cent of earth
work must be carried out by disadvantaged groups.
According to NWPo and GPWM, it is expected that
enabling environment will be created and appropriate
tools and procedures will be used for participation of
men and women in all activities of projects.
 BWDB Gender Equity Strategy and Action Plan 2006–
2011:
 Goal: The goal of the strategy is:

BWDB will work to ensure gender equity in the efficient

development, conservation and management of water
resources and in all its activities through the empowered
prticipation of staff and communities.
Strategy:

The Strategy aims to ensure that all areas contribute

positively and actively to achieving gender equity in all
functions and actions of the BWDB.
Many of the most significant factors affecting gender equity
are outside the control of the BWDB, such as, poverty,
education, environment, rural and urban social
structures, politics, culture and religion.
 International

 Gender Equity in the Water Sector:

Women tended to be equated primarily with managing the

domestic water supply sub-sector, which itself was seen to
exist in relative isolation from irrigation, fisheries and
other uses of water.
• Urbanization, industrialization of agriculture and
manufacturing, and consequent threats posed by water
pollution and watershed degradation have forced to change
in international perspectives on water.

• Now domestic water supply is highly volatile where women‘s

access to such supply is under threat from environmentally
unfriendly technologies in agriculture, fisheries,
commercial and industrial activities controlled by men.
• Environmental protection and conservation plans are to be
designed and implemented to restore polluted water systems
and rebuild damaged watersheds.
• Role of women—particularly rural and indigenous women—in
irrigation, watershed management, coastal zone and
marine resource management should be rethought.
• Other areas like food gathering and production, soil
conservation, fisheries, disaster prevention, and new and
renewable energy sources should be investigated.
 IPSWAM & IWRM

o IPSWAM (Integrated Planning and Sustainable Water

Management) is a pathfinder programme to introduce
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and
to provide a base for the Water Management
Improvement Project under BWDB.
o One of the specific objectives of IPSWAM is to integrate its
activities with activities under this major project.
o The main stakeholders are: the rural population of selected
areas in South-Central and South-West Bangladesh.
 IPSWAM Gender Approach
o Value men’s and women’s experience and knowledge
about existing water management systems and possibilities
of improvements.

o Recognize women’s needs and interest in water

management in their locality

o Recognize men’s and women’s complementary roles and

responsibilities to increase efficiency of polder water
management.

o Promote both gender’s contribution in problem

identification, option development for polder rehabilitation,
implementation, operation and maintenance
 (1) Identification/Selection of
sub-projects
(polders)

2) Participatory, Multi- 3) Formation of Water

disciplinary Data Management Organisations
Collection/Analysis and Option (WMO)
Development

4) Plan Formulation and

Finalisation

- Infrastructure Plan
- SEMP
Methodology for - Agreement on O&M
IPSWAM

5) Rehabilitation Work

6) Long-term Operation and

Maintenance
with monitoring
Usual Project Cycle
Specific Action Taken at Planning Stage

• Include female staffs in field

investigation team
• Consultation with women at cluster
level and village level
• Ensure women’s participation in
information validation meeting
at village level
• Separate PRA sessions with
different categories of women
• Incorporate gender perspectives
option considerations for polder
rehabilitation
Specific Action taken for WMOs formation
● Women’s awareness meeting at
cluster and village level about their
opportunity to be involved in WMOs.
● Motivational meeting with local male
leaders.
● Meeting with Union parishad to
explain necessity of women’s
involvement in water management activities.
● Individual contact with local female
leaders.
• Meeting with existing NGO
community groups.
Specific Action taken for Women’s Empowerment and
Leadership Development

• Issue based meeting with

female members of WMG
● Leadership Development
training for female members
of WMO
• Organizational Management
training for capacity
development in management
of WMOs
● Training for skill
development
● Exposure visit
 Training
Earth work &
Maintenance

Participatory Operation
 Specific Action Taken on Long-Term
Operation and Maintenance with Monitoring

• Women take part with men in the following activities:

• Training in maintenance, operation and monitoring.

• Regular routine maintenance of the infrastructure.

• Regular operation of the infrastructure.

• Regular participatory monitoring.

 Achievements

 242 WMG have been formed

 40 percent of the general members of WMGs are women

 34 percent of the members of EC of WMG are women

 50 percent of the general members of WMAs are women

 30 percent of the members of EC of WMAs are women

 About 1,180 women on Organizational Management and

1,172 women attended the training courses on Gender and
Leadership Development for their capacity development
 Achievements

• 1,434 members of WMA and sub-committee have received

training on operation and maintenance.

• 48 percent of WMA and 31 percent of sub-committee are

women.

• Women are doing well in maintenance and monitoring

work.
 Achievements

• 23,526 members of WMOs received training on 9 relevant

issues. Among them 40.64 percent were women.

• Among the total participants of Gender and Leadership

Development Training 61.55 percent of the total were women.
THANK YOU