Access to Domestic Water Supply and Women Empowerment – Experience from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
| Author | Hijam Eskoni Devi,Vaibhav Purandare |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120140310 |
| Published date | 01 July 2014 |
| Date | 01 July 2014 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ACCESS TO DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY AND
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT -EXPERIENCE FROM
CHHATTISGARH AND MADHYA PRADESH
HIJAM ESKONI DEVI AND VAIBHAV PURANDARE
Poor access
to
water burdens women most
as
they are primarily
responsible
for
its use and management in the household. In
the absence
of
domestic water connection, women often trudge
long distances, stand
for
hours every day
to
fetch water from
alternative external sources, wasting time and energy which
could otherwise be used in pursuit
of
productive activities.
Carrying water over long distances has a negative impact on
health. This study
examines
policy
interventions
of
the
Government
of
Chhattisgarh
and
Jabalpur
Municipal
Corporation, Madhya Pradesh
to
improve access to water by
providing domestic water connections to the urban
poor.
The
policies and interventions resulted in improved socio-economic
status, improved public health
and
contributed to women
empowerment-their
ability to take personal
and
family
decisions.
INTRODUCTION
WATER
IS a fundamental need and a basic human right for survival and
therefore is included in the United Nation's Millennium Development
Goals. 1 As per the latest UNICEF report on Progress on Sanitation and
Drinking Water: 2013 Updates, drinking water coverage in the world is 89
per cent which is one per cent above the Millennium Development Goal
drinking-water target. In 2011, however, 768 million people world over
relied on unimproved drinking-water sources.2
1The United Nations, The Millennium Development Goals Report 2011, New York,
2012. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202012.pdf, Accessed
on April 29, 2014.
2UNICEF and World Health Organization (2013), Progress on Sanitation and Drinking
Water:
2013
Updates 2013,
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/81245/1/
9789241505390_eng.pdf?ua=l, accessed on June 21, 2014.
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