Integrating gender needs into drinking-water projects in Nepal

This article uses the framework of strategic and practical gender needs in the context of the drinking-water sector, to argue that understanding how these needs are inter-linked is essential for the sustainability of drinking water projects. This is because the empowerment of women is a prerequisite for development, as well as an issue of justice. The article is based on the findings of a two-year research project carried out for a UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded project in Nepal. The research focused on the eastern, western and mid-western regions, and on both gravity-flow schemes (in the hills), and point sources (on the Tarai plains). The article begins with a review of literature on women's participation in drinking-water projects, including changes in the gender division of labour, interspersed with findings form the Nepal field study. It then examines how women's control over resources can be increased through income generation, community employment on water projects, and the inclusion of women as project staff. Finally the article discusses the assurance of benefits to women in marginal groups.