In many countries women shoulder the burden in collecting water Percentage of households reporting adult women and men as the usual person collecting water, 2005–2006 100
Women Men 80
60
40
20
0
Kazakhstan
Mongolia
Kyrgyz Rep.
Belarus
Vietnam
Thailand
Ghana
Yemen, Rep.
Bangladesh
Source: Nishta Sinha, 2010, “Infrastructure, Gender Differences, and Impacts: The Evidence,” World Bank
Water The availability of safe and adequate quantities of drinking water nearby reduces the physical burden of carrying water and lowers the risk of waterborne infections. In 1990, almost 1 billion people in developing countries lacked convenient access to a safe water source. Among developing-country households that have to collect water from a source outside their home, the task of fetching water is mostly carried out by women and girls. Recent surveys show that in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Nepal, for example, women are the primary water carriers in 85 percent of the households. In most parts of the world women spend more time than men on water collection In most parts of the world women spend more time than men on water collection activities Time spent on fetching water (minutes per day)
Benin (1998)
Women
Men
45
12
South Africa (2000)
8
3
Madagascar (2001)
27
9
Ghana (1998–1999)
41
33
India (2000)
43
30
Source: Nishta Sinha, 2010, “Infrastructure, Gender Differences, and Impacts: The Evidence,” World Bank
activities and work longer hours than men. The savings in time and drudgery of collecting water are not only important on their own merit but are also instrumental in increasing women’s participation in economic and socially beneficial activities. While there is considerable evidence of time savings from improved infrastructure in poor households, the “tradeoff ” between income-earning activities and household chores may mean increased health risks for women, or using girls’ labor to substitute for mothers. Girls’ schooling is often jeopardized by mothers using them to collect water and fuel wood. In addition, providing improved and safe water facilities does not necessarily lead to changes in women’s practices; for the benefits to be realized, additional institutional support, such as access to credit, to markets for income generating activities, or to education, may be required. Education
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