Gender, Security and Sanitation: Action Research on Women’s Rights and Access to Water and Sanitation (2009 –
2011)
Jagori and Women in Cities International(WICI),in partnership with Action India and Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA)
With support from IDRC
Anupriya, Manager, Safer Cities Prpgramme, Jagori
June 20, 2013
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Assessing Gender service gaps!
• How inadequate provisioning affects women and marginal groups in accessing WAT-SAN services
• How gender sensitive are the governance frameworks and can the women safety audits create a model of addressing security and safety issues, inevitably left out of such agendas
• How can women negotiate their voice in local governance on all key aspects of public provisioning and infrastructure development and address gender service gaps
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SITE – Bawana Resettlement Colony
North west Delhi; Relocated in 2004; about 14,000 plots with estimated population of 130,000
SITE – Bhalaswa Resettlement Colony
North east Delhi (adjacent to the Delhi landfill); Relocated in 2000; approx. 2600 plots with estimated population of 22,000
Designed as camps for internally displaced people: • Residents have no land tenure/license• Inadequate infrastructure: largely communal and not
household • Limited government services/structures• Fragmented governance, architecture, accountability
issues and lack of citizenship rights
13.78 million population in Delhi,
(2001 census)
By 2005, 9.3 million people in 52
resettlement colonies, over 1000 slum
clusters, over 1500 un-authorised
colonies & 216 urban villages. (Water Aid,
2005)
WALLED CITY - WORLD CLASS CITY – SLUM FREE CITY
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Strategies and approachesPreparatory phaseAdvisory Committee & Core Team of actors – community women and youth
Identifying gender service gaps - Conducting research and generating knowledge
Capacity building on issues, rights and tools to access quality essential services
Generating awareness and demand for accountabilityCommunity monitoring systems to track changes in services and relations
Networking and advocacy with government officials and other women’s groups in India
Policy & Media Advocacy focused for intensive outreach
Findings and learning's adapted
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ACTION-RESEARCH TOOLS
• Literature review- Policies• Rapid Situational Assessment
(RSA)– mapping of existing
infrastructure, facilities & services in select blocks
– Opportunity cost analysis (study of 50 families)
• Focus Group Discussions • Interviews with key
informants • In-depth interviews with
women• Women’s Safety Audits • Tracking WATSAN schemes
and corresponding budget outlays (2009-10) and expenditures
Principles informing methodology:
•Engaging the community on rights based issues•participation of women and youth ensured throughout
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Vegetable Market
Open spaces
SchoolHospital
Market
Residential colony
Milk booth
dustbins
Religious place
Residential colony
Park
shop
Liquor shop
Closed shop
Barber shop
Street food
Closed shop
Milk booth
Closed shop
Open spaces
CTC
dustbins
Cigarette shops
CTC
CTC
CTC
Phone booth
Residential colony
Cigarette shops
Street food
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Gender lens on WAT-SAN services
Women with special needs, like elderly, pregnant and/or disabled, have a double disadvantage
Due to inadequate services and their maintenance, sustenance of households has consumed the lives of women and girls, reducing time for education, livelihood opportunities or leisure
“There is no drain to outlet water. I take water out by using mugs from the walking path.”- woman D block, bawana
Women often carry water from over 3 – 15 kns
The garbage disposal person doesn’t come for days. Even if he does, he only picks the garbage from some points only – a Nigrani samiti women member shared
“When I fill and carry water home, I feel like drinking it all myself…and not share it with anyone else at home”. – Woman on carrying water from distant places in
Bhalswa
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Gender lens cont…
Constant fear while accessing toilets and walking on the streets to collect water, mud and disposing garbage on streets or open spaces
Women use open fields to defecate, only in dark and hence avoid drinking water and holding urine leading to health complications. Quality of water also impacts health
“the CTCs are so dirty that I feel nauseous. Don’t feel like eating once I am home”- young girl in E block
“we always go in group. Once three girls were defecating in open space, a boy came and tried to assault one of them. I am scared! – 15 years, girl from bawana
There are no dustbins in the CTC. To throw sanitary cloth we at times go far away at dark . – Says a 30 year women from Bawana
“If I didn’t have to wait in queue for water and defecation I would have had so much time to spare to cook food and wouldn’t have to go to school empty stomach” - School going girl, 14 years
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KEY findings: safety and security issues
• Inadequate and gender insensitive infrastructure and services
– Inadequate number and maintenance of toilets, water taps and garbage disposal systems
– No dustbins for menstrual waste anywhere!– Drains next to houses and water taps- water
contaminations risks high– Home based toilets in select cases cause shame, issues of
privacy/pollution/maintenance costs, etc.
• Gender-based urban violence due to extreme poverty, discrimination, exclusion
– Constant fear while accessing toilets and walking on the streets due to the water, mud and garbage on streets
– Incidences of sexual harassment is common while accessing such services
– Women forced to use open fields
• Compromised women’s rights to equality, dignity, autonomy and bodily integrity
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Gender Implications of insensitive service provision
– Costs of time increased due to long queues for toilets, potable water, irregular supply of water, fetching water, etc.
– Increased stress waiting for darkness to relieve themselves in open spaces
– High incidences of health problems – Higher demands on household work –
more time in social reproduction roles– Right to equality of access to
options/ opportunities for leisure, study, generate income, explore opportunities
– Household chores spill over into the streets and drains – public-private spheres merge
– Impediments to movement in the narrow lanes - compromised dignity, privacy & safety
– Right to life challenged with the everyday fear of harassment and shame, negotiating with bodily needs, no time control!
“A pucca road has been constructed there. Men keep coming and going. Oneis embarrassed to defecate there. I dare not go alone or send my daughteralone there. One feels scared.-Interview with Sunita, Bawana, 60 years old
No control on body and time!
Questions: – What is the social and
economic cost of fear?– What is the social and
economic cost of health?
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Budget Analysis
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Outlays for Sectors in 11th Five Year Plan for Delhi (in %): CBGA study
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2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 RE 2011-12BE0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0 7.4 7.26.6
6.16.1
Declining Trend of Budgeting for Water and Sanitation in Delhi
As
% o
f Tot
al B
udge
tary
Exp
endi
ture
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Bhalaswa Bawana
Tanker Supply Stand Posts D Block K Block
110 hrs/year /Cycle
420 hrs/year/cycle
544hrs/year/2 cycles
237.25 hrs/year/2
cycles
Opportunity cost of water: average time spent annually** - CBGA study
** CBGA & Jagori Study: Swapna Bisht
Bhalaswa Bawana Sample Size:
63 Households from five Blocks
Sample Size:D Block:- 74K Block :- 64
Comparative Analysis: Water Tanker Vs Stand posts
Comparative Analysis: D Block Vs K Block
Analysis for One Cycle Analysis for two Cycles
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Un-Skilled Semi Skilled Skilled 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
1925 2007.5 2145
7350
7665 8190
Opportunty Cost- Bhalaswa
Tanker Supply
Stand Posts
Wage Category
Amou
nt in
Rs.
Opportunity Cost for Bhalswa
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Un-Skilled Semi Skilled Skilled 0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
95209928
10608
4151.8 4330 4626
Opportunty Cost-Bawana
D Block
K Block
Wage Category
Amou
nt in
Rs.
Opportunity Cost for Bawana
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the disconnects• Lack of Convergences in Service Delivery and lack of gender
sensitivity in policies, plans;• Cost of sanitation services high –no special provisions in local
budgets for women; Severe Safety and health impacts on women/girls as well as men
and boys - the poor are paying for the costs of inadequate government services;
• Issue of Privatization - CTCs are contracted to private agencies which charge a fee consequently puts a financial burden on the residents
• Lack of Political-Will to implement essential services• Inadequacy of Human Resources - women of Bawana and Bhalswa
have to bear the brunt of unsafe and unhygienic toilets or defecate in open spaces
• Unpaid working day for women increases - increase in women’s fatigue and decreases her participation in decision making processes
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Community monitoring systems to track changes & relations – Bawana , Water
`Dec 2009July 2011
CTC are clean and well maintained
Low Expenditure for Toilets (pvt/CTC)
Safety, Security, honour assured
Waiting time in Queue in low
Caretakers behaviour
Disposal for sanitary napkins available
Availability of toilet when needed
CTC is close to home
1
6
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Bawana
Toilets `Dec 2009
July 2011 Community Action Possible
Yes/No
CTC are clean and well maintained
3 4 * Yes
Low Expenditure for Toilets (pvt/CTC)
1 1 * no
Safety, Security, honour assured 3 5 * Yes
Waiting time in Queue in low 5 6 * Yes
Caretakers behaviour 2 6 * Yes
Disposal for sanitary napkins available
1 3 * Yes
Availability of toilet when needed 3 3
CTC is close to home 4 4
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Action to Advocacy1. Advocacy meetings with DUSIB, DJB, MCD, Councillor2. Learnings are being shared as part of the approach paper
of 12th five year plan , Justice verma Committee submission, 3rd International Conference on building Safe and Inclusive cities
3. Exchange platforms with National and International organisations
4. Query on “Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in WASH Programmes – Experiences; Examples” raised by Gender Community and Water Community of the UN Solutions Exchange. can be accessed at:ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/wes/cr/cr-se-wes-gen-09041201.pdf
5. Two Articles on Women's Rights and Access to Water and Sanitation and Safer Cities were published in "Building Inclusive Cities: Women’s Safety and the Right to the City" http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415628167/
6. By Women feature Service http://www.wfsnews.org/wfs-jagiri-inside-may-2011.html
7. Article on the Budget Analysis in EPW http://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/2013_48/05/Public_Provisioning_in_Water_and_Sanitation.pdf
Source: http://khabar.ibnlive.in.com/news/78422/8
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Key outcomes• Enhanced capacity and understanding of project team on issues WATSAN from
women’s safety perspective• Gender sensitization on planning with women’s interests in mind
– Women envisioned a new design for CTCs - a covered roof, small windows for light and air circulation and taps inside each toilet; separate toilets for women and children
• Women’s and youth’s negotiations with local Councillor, MLA and tracking budget trails– Local MLA shared the budget allocations for Rs. 3 crores for infrastructure
development in Bawana , and the women continued to monitor flows.• Establishment of new and improved services
– Solid waste collection via a motorized vehicle has been established. It only collects solid waste from households from the main roads of Bhalswa.
– Potable water delivery has increased after advocacy with the councillor and agencies.
• Demanding accountability– Caretaker doing their work!– Women and youth made several petitions to MLA and Councillor with over
300 signatures and filed RTIS – small gains made and work through alliances
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Some thoughts moving forward
• Need to ensure that women are centrally involved in planning and decision making for gender-sensitive policy reform, infrastructure provision, facilities and services.
• Need to create conditions for women’s access, inclusion and voice in all urban spaces/processes; and ensure that efforts to end VAW are intersectional in nature
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Skill Building: session in progress
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Meeting with Nigrani samiti to plan public hearing
“Hamari baton ka dhyan karo, hamari samasyaon ka samadhan karo” (Pay keen attention to what we are saying and find solutions to our problems) - Women’s voices from Bawana and Bhalswa during the capacity building and visioning workshop
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A listener’s club in progress – initiating debate…
Agents for awareness raising and informing
Engaging policy makers - interview with Councillor
Contd…
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PUBLIC HEARING
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Dissemination of findings and
materials developed
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Knowledge products and advocacy materials
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Acknowledgments
Women and youth members from Bawana and Bhalaswa
International Development and Research Centre, IDRC
Prabha Khosla, consultant Adil Ali, evaluation consultantWomen in Cities International, CanadaAction India, DelhiCentre for Budget and Governance Accountability,
DelhiJagori , Delhi
THANK YOU!
