Gender Awareness inCommunity Based Watershed Management:

A Participatory Source Book

Prepared by: Judy Gillespie

Layla SaadHeather Shay

December, 1999

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Table of Contents

How to use this source book……………………………………………………………………….4

Objectives………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Limitations of the source book…………………………………………………………………..5

Women, Urbanization and Sustainable Development…………………………..6

Women’s Participation in Community Based WatershedManagement……………………………………………………………………………………………………..8

Linkages between Women and CBWM…………………………………………………….10

The Favelas of Santo Andre’s Watershed Protection Area…………….11

Project Background…………………………………………………………………………………..…13

Latin American Experience………………………………………………………………………..14

Introduction to the Tools………………………………………………………………………….15

Tools for Trainers……………………………………………………………………………………….16Personal and Institutional Resources Puzzle…………………………...17Linkages Diagram……………………………………………………………………………...19Gender Analysis Matrix…………………………………………………………………..20Personal Reflection…………………………………………………………………………….23

Tools for the Community…………………………………………………………………………..25Land Use Feltboard…………………………………………………………………………..26

Water Usage Awareness………………………………………………………………….28

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Table of Contents (cntd.)

Community Transects…………………………………………………………………………29Community Drama……………………………………………………………………………….31Community Vision Collage………………………………………………………………..33

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………..34

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How to use this source book

This source book was put together as a supplement to a series of workshops related to genderanalysis, environment and urbanization within the context of the Community Based WatershedManagement project in Santo Andre, Brazil.

The first half of the source book is meant to address key concepts and components that will becovered in the workshop activities. It is meant to serve as a general background and introductionto gender issues as they relate to the project. The source book starts with a brief introduction tothe issues and concerns related to women and the environment. It then provides a framework forlooking at women in Community Based Watershed Management before discussing the specificcontext of the project and the community. There is also a small discussion on experiences withsimilar projects in Latin America.

The second half of the source book looks at some of the workshop activities, and providestrainers with activities that they themselves can adapt and use in the community to foster genderawareness and environmental stewardship. This segment of the source book was designed to bea small tool kit to assist trainers in fostering dialogue in their communities surrounding the issuesdiscussed in the first half of the book.

The source book ends with a sampling of Internet and library resources that may be of use to theworkshop participants. We hope that you find this collection useful and informative!

Objectives

The objectives of this source book are:

a) to provide a brief overview of how the concepts of gender, environment, developmentand urbanization are connected

b) to relate these linkages directly to the Latin American context and within the context of the CBWM project

c) to assist trainers in communicating these concepts to the community

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d) to provide trainers with personal tools that will increase their own awareness of theirrelationship with the environment

e) to provide trainers with practical tools suited to the Latin American context that can beused with the community to increase gender awareness and environmental stewardship

While it was written specifically for the participants involved in the Santo Andre CommunityBased Watershed Management Project, the analytical framework and practical tools that areincluded in the Source Book can be applied and adapted to suit community trainers involved insimilar projects elsewhere.

Limitations of the source book

This source book was put together as a final project for a graduate course in Gender andInternational Development Planning at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning.The material was compiled in Canada, where information was derived from library sources, theInternet, and project materials from the coordinator of the Community Based WatershedManagement project.

While attempts were made to adapt the concepts and tools to the Latin American culture basedon brief interviews with the project coordinator and a few Brazilian project participants, thecontent of this source book is constrained by the authors’ limited knowledge of Brazilian culture,and of the particular circumstances facing the community of Santo Andre.

We also recognize the importance and validity of the wealth of experience the projectparticipants bring to the workshops, and for the need for the community to develop their ownobjectives and gender-sensitive process. We hope that this source book may serve as a usefulreference that may need to be adapted to better suit the needs of the community.

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Women, Urbanization and Sustainable DevelopmentTheoretical literature concerning women and the environment can be seen to fall into three maincategories. The first is the ecofeminist view that women have a ‘special’ connection to theenvironment by virtue of their biology. They are somehow closer to nature and therefore morenaturally environmental stewards. While this position has attracted a certain following, it hasalso been heavily criticized by many women and women’s organizations for itsovergeneralization and failure to recognize social as opposed to biological factors.

The women, environment and development (WED) approach shares the perspective of women asbeing closer to nature. However, instead of viewing this as the result of biology it is recognizedas a result of the division of labour between women and men. Because women utilize naturalresources in their multiple roles they have developed special knowledge related to theenvironment and have a special interest in environmental preservation. Development policies andpractices therefore need to include women to improve environmental outcomes (which will inturn improve things for women). The gender inequalities themselves are considered outside thescope of this approach.

In contrast to both of the above, the gender and development (GAD) perspective denies any‘special’ relationship between women and the environment on the basis of biology or the natureof ‘women’s work.’ Within this perspective women’s direct relationship with the environment isnothing more than a function of cultural and social norms and cannot be generalized. Thisperspective does share the view that in many cases women bear an unfair brunt of environmentaldegradation but argues that environmental conservation will not automatically benefit women Insummary:

Gender analysis cannot distill any general relationship between women and theenvironment which could inform prescriptive policy but rather suggests thatenvironmental interventions will be a new arena in which gendered bargaining processeswill be enacted and contested (Locke, 1999: 269)

The urban context is one arena in which this bargaining process is occurring. This is particularlysignificant in terms of informal settlements in urban areas. The people in these settlements areoften poor, illiterate and marginally employed. The settings they live within are often poorlyserviced and contain many natural and human created environmental hazards. Commonly theseissues will lead to women organizing and becoming community advocates.

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However, the decision to do this is a difficult one as women may experience considerable guiltover the time they are taking away from their family ‘responsibilities.’ For many women takingon this role may result in increased conflict with husbands who resent the time their wives aregiving to community work. When women are also working in the formal or informal economyproviding needed income, this triple responsibility of family, community and income providercan be overwhelming. In addition, the decision to become involved in organizing aroundenvironmental issues is often balanced against other community work that women may be doingand which they may feel gives them greater satisfaction, status, or benefit. Yet they may sacrificethis work if they perceive environmental work to be more directly beneficial to their families.

Thus while lack of services and environmental hazards are significant issues for women in theirday to day lives, attempting to resolve these problems can add further stress or hardship towomen’s lives. Furthermore, while the community as a whole may experience considerablebenefit from women’s work in urban environmental issues, benefits for the women in thecommunity may be marginal. When weighed against the costs to women of doing this work itmay actually have a negative impact.

Programs which seek to mobilize women in addressing environmental issues within theircommunities need to consider the above in terms of design and implementation. Importantquestions for such projects include:

• How are women already involved in community work?• Can this project assist women in addressing these concerns?• What potential benefits might women derive from participation in this project?• How can these be increased?• How can they go beyond material needs to benefit women’s status, safety, or

security?• What are the potential costs to women of participating in this project?• How can these costs be reduced?

Answers to these questions need to come from the women themselves. Furthermore, men in thecommunity need to be considered in gender sensitive analysis of projects. Projects that benefitwomen at the perceived expense of men may be sabotaged or may result in reprisals againstwomen.

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Women’s Participation ccccin Community Based Watershed Management

The following framework is intended to provide trainers with a conceptualization of the linkagesbetween the ideas discussed in the previous section as they specifically relate to CommunityBased Watershed Management. The framework is intended to show where barriers to formaland informal arrangements that manage the amount of access and control over natural resourcesin the community impact women. The framework is also meant to show the ramifications ofsuch barriers as they relate to conditions within the informal settlement. Finally, the conceptualdrawing is meant to serve as a tool for targeting potential sources of intervention to improvewomen’s participation and reduce some of the barriers to their involvement.

Community Based Watershed Management is comprised of two fundamental components:Integrated Watershed Management and Participation of the community. In collecting scientificdata about the watershed, it is integral that scientists consider the traditional knowledge that isheld by the community; particularly women as their daily functions may result in a differentrelationship with, and thus a particular knowledge of, the local environment. Additionally,special effort must be made to integrate women into the management process through effectiveparticipation. The concerns of women, the elderly and young people cannot be ignored whendesigning community and watershed planning processes, as these groups may foresee potentialproject impacts that otherwise may be overlooked.

Women’s participation and contribution to CBWM is affected by the formal and informalcontext of arrangements in the community. Informal social arrangements including personal andfamily relationships and the division of labour will impact the women’s role in the communityand daily tasks. This in turn relates to their use of resources, their perception of the environmentand their community, and the fostering of a sense of pride and stewardship. Conversely, awoman’s relationships and daily tasks may make her access to resources limited. This can alsobe reflected within formal arrangements such as legislation and policies that restrict women’saccess to clean and safe services and resources. While policies such as land tenure affecteveryone in the community, small formal arrangements such as holding community meetings atinopportune times further restrict women’s participation in CBWM. This then returns to affecther relationships, the division of labour, and her relationship to the environment.

Once these issues and arrangements are examined and compounded, it becomes evident thatmany become barriers for women in the community to access and control over natural andfinancial resources, and to community participation. This contributes to the conditions of theinformal settlement, as strains on the household and the community lead to violence andincreasing poverty. Poor social services, basic infrastructure and sanitation are all causes andeffects of this lack of access, as women cannot control these compounding problems.

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It is important to consider where women fit into Community Based Watershed Management. Asthey play different roles in the community, it is evident that they will play different roles insolving the community’s problems. Differing methods and rates of participation; forms andsources of knowledge; formal and informal arrangements; and access and control over resourcesmust all be acknowledged before the CBWM process can become truly participatory. Only thencan conditions in the informal settlement be improved.

Participation• Women• Men• Youth• Elderly

IntegratedWatershedManagement• Women’s

knowledge• Men’s

knowledge

Formal Arrangements• Legislation• Policies• Tenure• Guidelines

M

Comm

Informal Arrangements• Relationships• Women’s role/tasks in home

and community• Women’s use of resources• Division of labour• Stewardship

Barriers to Access and Control OvCommunity Participation

Informal S• Poor b• Poor so• Uncon• Increas• Violen• Poor sa

Materialized

CBW

Linkages Between Women andunity Based Watershed Management

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er Resources and

ettlement Conditionsasic infrastructurecial services

trolled land useing povertycenitation

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The Favelas of Santo Andre’s Watershed ProtectionArea

Geography and Settlement

The majority of Santo Andre’s favelas are located in the Alto-Tiete Basin that, as part ofthe watershed protection area, has strict land use policies. Thus much of the settlement istechnically illegal as well as potentially hazardous. However to the approximately 25,000 people living there, the settlements are their home.

Government, the Environment and Participation

1996 elections put in place a government with a strong commitment to popularparticipation. The decentralized nature of the state’s urban management policies allow themunicipality greater control over the management of their ecologically sensitive areas.For each river basin a committee consisting of representatives of state, municipal andcivil organizations is to be established. This committee is responsible for formulatingplans aimed at restoring and protecting the watersheds. The scope of these plans is toinclude socioeconomic development.

SEMASAThis is the municipal corporation with the responsibility for water supply, sewage, anddrainage services. They are attempting to shift to a more community based approach thatincludes environmental education and promotion of stewardship. For many residents thelink between ecological degradation and disease or natural disasters is not clearlyunderstood. Much illegal dumping occurs, not only by residents but also by industrialcompanies and much of this finds its way into the water. As one of the strategies toimprove environmental awareness, SEMASA has hired a group to do community dramawithin the favelas.

Gender Equity

The mayor of Santo Andre, Daniel Celso, is seen to have a strong commitment toimproving the lives of women. Consequently the municipality has a gender equity officewhich provides consultation to municipal and civil agencies.

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The People of the Favelas

The population is primarily Afro-Brazilian with many of these being female headedsingle parent households. Much of the population is illiterate. There is a high ratio ofchildren in the neighborhoods and educational attendance is compulsory.

Economic Issues

Many of the residents are economically marginalized. The vast majority of women (70-80%) do not participate in the formal economy. Little is known about informal sectorinvolvement for either men or women.

Health and Social issues

AIDS and teenage pregnancy are serious concerns in the neighborhoods. Primarily theseare addressed through school programs for both boys and girls and in neighborhoodworkshops. Domestic violence is another significant problem and neighborhood women’sorganizations try to deal with this through outreach programs focusing on educatingwomen about their rights and improving self-esteem. Water quality related diseases suchas diarrhea are also a problem.

Service Issues

There is a serious lack of basic services in these settlements. Many of them lacksanitation services, education, roads, public transportation and health services.This makes the socioeconomic problems noted above even more difficult for residents,particularly the women.

The micro level issues are an important part of the context of the Community Based WatershedManagement Project. If the project is to have the support and active participation of the womenin the community it must be seen to offer them some benefits. The link between watershedquality and disease or soil erosion is not clearly understood and watershed linked problems areonly some of struggles women grapple with in their day to day lives.

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Project BackgroundThe Community Based Watershed Management project presently unfolding in Santo Andre,Brazil, is a direct response to the environmental degradation that has accompanied rapid urbangrowth and informal settlements in this region. With a constant increase in informal settlementsthat often locate on the periphery of the city (close to the water), the urgency to address the issueof water management has only become more pressing.

The Community Based Watershed Management (CBWM) project, based on a partnershipbetween UBC’s Centre for Human Settlements and the municipality of Santo Andre, aimstowards creating a participatory management method for the watershed that is more effective andaddresses the needs of informal settlements. This approach to watershed management strives toprotect environmentally sensitive areas, and rehabilitate those that have already been damaged.However, contrary to traditional management that has relied on legislative and legalisticmethods, this project seeks to involve people in the process by stimulating a sense of stewardshiptowards nature. CBWM is a mutli-stakeholder approach to planning that incorporates technical,sociopolitical, biophysical, institutional, and economic elements into the management process,therefore creating a comprehensive and holistic method. Particular focus is placed on how data iscompiled and processed into information or knowledge that is then used to make decisions; howvarious interest groups participate in the watershed management; and ways of managing conflictamongst stakeholders. The existence of valuable local knowledge held by women and men of allsectors of the community is recognized and incorporated via a participatory planning process.This information is used to inform decision makers at the institutional level.

In summary, the main goal of the project is "to make municipal watershed management in SantoAndre more effective, participatory and responsive to the needs of informal settlements". Thepurpose of the project is to establish a process, and a set of methods for Community-BasedWatershed Management that is transferable to other communities; to improve the quality andaccessibility of information utilized by municipal decision makers regarding watershedmanagement; and to extend partnerships with institutions in Brazil and Canada.

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Latin American ExperienceOther watershed management projects throughout Latin America have demonstrated that littlecan be accomplished without the direct involvement of the people in the community. In Brazil, awater sanitation project found that involving slum dwellers in the design, operation, andmaintenance of the implemented sewage system was the "only way" for the project to besuccessful. In favelas, informal settlements in Brazil, a significant portion of households areheaded by women. Since men tend to be more transient moving away and returning dependingon employment opportunities, women become the most permanent aspect of the communities.Consequently, women's participation and involvement in projects has proven to be a crucial linkto working with the community, and instrumental in encouraging local involvement. To acertain degree, the women are what make the community.

Watershed management projects in Colombia have also experienced the benefits of activelyinvolving community residents in the process, particularly because participation has aneducational function and has served to raise civic consciousness. Here it was observed thatraising civic consciousness among children was far easier than in adults, and the effect ofchildren’s education often extends into the community. Since a large portion of Brazilian societyconsists of children, targeting this group to stimulate environmental stewardship would provebeneficial to the community as a whole. In the Colombia project, children and adolescentspainted and made drawings of water uses, storage, where water comes from, how to take care ofit, etc. Another strategy used to increase participation amongst the adult population was todecentralize meetings, locating one in each area thus increasing the access of marginalizedindividuals.

In Nicaragua, conflict resolution was necessary due to the many tensions between the variousdistinct groups who had access to and could use the watershed. As with many watershedprojects, the goal in Nicaragua was to work towards more equitable control over resources,giving unprivileged people (i.e. women, ethnic minorities, the landless), greater options byencouraging their involvement in policy making at the municipal, regional, and even nationallevel. In order for people to be capable of participating in a significant way, they must have agood understanding of resource dynamics, in this case water cycles. This helps individuals tointernalize the importance of good management. Another strategy that proved successful inNicaragua was the use of community participation to perform environmental analysis andevaluation. This involved creating local research committees to perform microwatershedanalysis in terms of the health or degradation of the watershed and its surrounding riparian andforest zones. This can be done at an informal level and can even involve children. The mostimportant point is to create a sense of caring and responsibility for nature amongst the peopleliving within or close to the watershed, strengthening community cohesiveness to provideopportunities for action that enable residents to monitor, evaluate, and partake in themanagement process.

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Introduction to the tools The following tools are divided into two segments: Tools for Trainers and Tools for theCommunity.

The tools in the first segment were chosen to meet the learning objectives for the trainersparticipating in the workshops. These included:

• building group cohesion among the participants from diverse backgrounds and withvarious sources of knowledge

• clarifying the concepts related to women, the environment, and urbanization

• increasing gender awareness in the group and in the individual

The second segment contains tools that the trainers may use in their community to help toconvey some of the concepts discussed in the workshops. While the tools in the first segmentmay also be adapted for use in the community, the second segment contains tools that are morespecifically targeted to youth, women, and other marginalized groups in the Santo Andrecommunity. The objectives for these tools are:

• to foster awareness of gender and environmental issues

• to encourage environmental stewardship, particularly in youth

• to convey the concepts of linkages between women and the environment in a fun,creative, participatory manner

The following represent only a small sampling of some exercises that may be used. Workshopparticipants are encouraged to adapt, substitute, and/or develop their own tools to convey theconcepts to their community. For a more complete list of tools, please see the reference sectionat the back of the source book.

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Tools For

Trainers

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Personal and Institutional Resource puzzle(adapted from Rocherleau et al. “Power, Process and Participation: Tools for Change”)

Objectives• to recognize the breadth of skills, resources and knowledge in the trainers or community

themselves, in their institutions, and in the group• to build group cohesion through increased awareness of group’s strengths• to better plan the role of the individual in group activities• to encourage partnerships and exchange of contacts and information

Materialstwo large pieces of paper, some markers, glue, scissors

Process:

1) Draw puzzle pieces on a large sheet of paper so that each participant has one. Mark thepieces on the top side so that you know which way is up. Cut the puzzle pieces and giveone to each participant. Leave the other piece of paper whole to be used as the base ofthe puzzle.

2) Explain that the purpose of the exercise is to identify the skills that each personpossesses. Ask each participant to write down on a sheet of paper as many personalresources as they can think of within five or ten minutes. Emphasize that these resourcescan take on many forms: historical knowledge, skill in a trade, organization or leadershipabilities, personality traits, access to financial resources outside of the community, manyfriends, and so on. Stress quantity, not quality.

3) Ask the group members to collectively identify an issue or problem in their communitythat they need to address, such as poor health and sanitation, land tenure disputes, ormobilizing women’s participation.

4) Once the group has a problem in mind, they can focus on solving the problem. Ask eachparticipant to write or draw one personal resource on the marked side of a puzzle piecethat they feel will contribute to solving the problem.

5) Ask the group to begin assembling the puzzle with the resources written on the top of thepieces. When the puzzle has been assembled, the pieces can be glued to the base, and the

TimeOne and a half hours

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puzzle hung for the group to view and discuss. Notice who participates in the activityand who does not.

6) Lead the group in a discussion of the exercise, addressing questions that may include:

• Are there some personal resources listed that people did not previously think of asvalid or useful? Why?

• Are there any resources the group feels it does not have?

• How can the group use individual members’ resources to gain access to thesemissing pieces?

• What group dynamics occurred during the exercise? Did anyone take a leadershiprole?

• Did the group work together to make decisions and solve the puzzle?

Remember

You may wish to use the exercise focussing on the resources that themember’s institution may bring to solving the problem, if theparticipants are from a diverse professional background.

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Linkages Diagram

Objectives• to acknowledge and become aware of the several issues and conditions that affect water

quality• to identify the linkages that can be made between these interacting and related

characteristics• to illustrate the connection between women, water, health, access, and other relevant

issues.

MaterialsPaper and pencils/pens.

Process

There are two different ways to approach this exercise

Method 1: Briefly illustrate to participants what a linkages diagram is using a different topic tothe one that they will use. Then provide all participants with a piece of paper and a pencil orpen, and ask them to create a linkages diagram that has water quality at the centre. Wheneveryone is finished have a group discussion about the diagrams that the participants havecreated asking why certain linkages are made.

Method 2: Use on large piece of paper to create a linkages diagram as a group. In this case oneor two participants write down and link the various things that are suggested by the group. Thefacilitator must ensure equal participation and elicit ideas from the group. Once the diagram isdone, ask the people to comment on the linkages illustrated, and identify crucial issues that arepresent at the community and municipal/national level that affect water quality.

TimeApproximately 45 minutesincluding discussion.

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Gender Analysis Matrix(adapted from Parker “Another Point of View: A Manual…”)

Objective• To familiarize participants with the gender analysis matrix tool.

MaterialsPaper, markers, flipchartHandouts: Definitions and rules for Gender Analysis MatrixBlank GAM

Process

1) Introduce the activity by first asking if anyone is familiar with the use of this tool incommunity projects. For those that are not familiar, explain that they are now going to use a toolfor gender analysis known as the Gender Analysis Matrix (GAM).

2) Display the flipchart with the sheet “Gender Analysis Matrix: What, Why, Who and When?”and read aloud. Respond to any questions.

3) Distribute handouts and explain that GAM is used with groups of community members,preferably with equal participation of women and men, and is facilitated by a community trainersuch as themselves.

4) Have participants think of a possible activity related to CBWM in Santo Andre and practicefilling out the blank GAM as a group or in smaller groups. Discuss the results emphasizing thatdifferent groups might see different results based on their knowledge; this is why broadrepresentation is best.

TimeApproximately 60 minutesincluding discussion

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Definitions and Rules for Gender Analysis Matrix

Levels of Analysis

Women – Refers to all women in the community

Men – Refers to all men in the community

Household – Refers to all men, women, and children who reside together even if they are notpart of the same nuclear family

Community – refers to all people living within a designated area such as Parque Andreense orRecreio de Borda de Campa

Municipality – Refers to the municipal government of Santo Andre

Categories of Analysis

Labour – This refers to any changes in tasks, level of skill required (skilled vs. unskilled, formaleducation, training), and labour capacity (how many people and how much can they do; dopeople need to be hired or can household members do it).

Time – This refers to changes in the amount of time (3 hours, 4 days and so on) it takes to carryout the task associated with the project or activity.

Resources – This refers to changes in capital (income, land, credit) as a consequence of theproject, and the extent of control over changes in resources for each level of analysis.

Cultural factors – This refers to changes in social aspects of the participants’ lives (changes ingender roles or status) as a result of the project.

Rules for filling out GAMGAM is filled in by taking each level of analysis and assessing the impact of the activity on eachcategory shown. For example, what impact will the activity have on women’s work? Theresponse is written in the box for women and labour. What impact will the activity have onwomen’s resources? Will they lose access to land or control over money they earn? After all theboxes are filled in with potential changes that the activity might bring, those filling out theMatrix should go back and do the following:Put a plus sign if it is consistent with programme goalsPut a minus sign if it is contrary to programme goalsPut a question mark if they are unsure if it is consistent or contrary.Where possible equal numbers of men and women should participate in the analysis.

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Blank Gender Analysis Matrix

ProjectObjectives

Labour Time Resources CultureWomen

Men

Household

Community

Municipality

Remember

Adapt the exercise based on participantsexperience in using the gender analysis matrix.

Personal reflection

O

MP

P

Time

Anywhere from five minutes tohalf an hour

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bjectives

• To allow participants to reflect on their attitudes towards the concepts covered in theworkshop

• To personalize the activities and increase their significance to participants• To foster a plan for action and change, beginning with the individual

aterialsaper and pen

rocess

1) Ask participants to reflect on the session or on the day’s events. You may begin byasking what the participants attitudes were before the session began, and if they havechanged their perceptions after the activity. Suggest that the participants write down theirresponses.

2) Ask the participants where they see themselves fitting into the issues discussed. Theymay wish to reflect on how they themselves are impacted by gender roles, or where theysee opportunities for change.

3) Ask the participants to draw or describe what a gender-aware Santo Andre would looklike. Then ask participants to identify how they can contribute to the actualization of thisgoal.

4) Have participants write their personal gender action plans, whether it be changes theywill make within their households, their places of work, or their community. Collectthese and seal them in envelopes with the person’s name on the outside. Return theenvelopes to the participants at the end of the workshop, or mail them after a period oftime. This will help to remind the participants of their commitment to long term change.

5) Ask the participants whether they would like to discuss any of their reflections, orwhether they would prefer to keep them private.

R

emember

Remember

This exercise can be used at any time throughout theworkshop. You may take some time after eachactivity to reflect, or wait until the end of the day oruntil the end of the workshop. It may also beinteresting to have participants write their thoughtsbefore and after the workshop to see whether theirperceptions have changed.

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Tools For

Community

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Land Use Feltboard(adapted from Rocherleau et. al. "Power, Process and Participation")

Objectives

• to involve youth and/or adults in discussion about land use choices, natural resources,and the effects that certain decisions or scenarios would have on the ecosystem inquestion

• to provide information on where resources are, who has access to and who controls them,who is responsible for the resources, and how urbanization and poor maintenance willeffect quality of resources

• to illustrate the impacts that decisions at the community, municipal, or national levelwould have on the watershed and the natural environment around it.

MaterialsOne or two large pieces of felt (about 1 metre by 1.5 metres), scissors, smaller pieces of colouredfelt from which to cut animals, trees, plants, houses, water, and other features, sticks and ribbons,and straight pins to attach the cut-out figures to the felt. A camera, video, or cassette recorderwould be great in order to capture the information seen and heard.According to other experiences, this feltboard has worked well in other Latin American countrieswith men and women.

Process

Step 1: Cut out shapes of plants, animals, houses, and other structures and/or features in andaround the watershed before meeting with group, or with the group when you meet them.

Step 2: Use the feltboard in one of the following ways.

Option 1: Ask the group to picture the watershed and to create this picture using the feltboard.Once it is constructed, ask how this image would be altered if a certain change were to occur: anincrease in houses and residents within the informal settlements; an increase of garbage producedby communities; a change in watershed management; or other relevant possibilities. One person,or alternating people can be asked to illustrate the changes on the feltboard in response to thehypothetical scenarios created. Engage in a discussion about the different possibilities and theireffects.Facilitators can ask more specific questions about who has access and control over water (and/orother relevant resources), what impact specific decisions at the community or municipal level

TimeApproximately two to threehours.

27

would have on these resources, and who uses the resources and how. "What if?" questions areparticularly useful.

Option 2: A hypothetical situation is presented to the group of participants who are then askedto define a realistic case study. This may be the case of a new family or group of families whohave come to live in one of the informal settlements bordering the watershed. Ask theparticipants to be realistic in defining the location, boundaries, and physical features of thesettlement area. Then ask the group to define what the land looks like now, before the familiessettle in and build homes. This can be illustrated using the feltboard and the figures of plants,trees, animals, water, and houses. Ask one or two people to 'picture' the changes that the newcomers would impose on this land, and illustrate this by removing or adding parts to thefeltboard. While one or two people use the feltboard, the others can comment on the actionsoccurring in the story. People can take turns playing with the felltboard and discussing arisingissues. Facilitators can ask participants what changes they would make to the land if they werein the story. This will illustrate how different people make different choices for differentreasons. The feltboard exercise allows people to play out their concerns, aspirations, andknowledge through the experience of a fictional character and may serve to eliminate the stigma,for some, of their own socio/economic conditions.

Water Usage Awareness

RememberThe researcher needs to be familiar with the region in question inorder to create the appropriate figures, unless local artists can do this.

It is also important that the group participants be familiar withthe landscape that will be presented on the feltboard.

In case there is limited participation, and one or two peopledominate the discussion, ask people to create one section of thewatershed giving quiet people a specific task. Also, to helpconversation, ask everyone to comment on what they would do inspecific hypothetical situations.

Recording this exercise may be tricky. Having at least twopeople to take notes would be beneficial.

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Objectives

• To promote awareness of the ways men, women, and children use water in thecommunity

• To increase awareness of the gender division of labour

MaterialsFlipchart and markers or blackboard and chalk

Process

In a group consisting of both male and female children put up words or symbols for men,women, and children. Have the children identify ways that people under each of the categoriesuse water in their community. Include community activities such as tree planting andmaintenance; reproductive activities such as cooking, washing clothes, and productive activitiessuch as driving to work. Once there are a wide range of uses under each category have thechildren take turns drawing arrows from who does the task to who benefits from it.

Example

c b bccooking

Community Transects(adapted from Rocherleau et. al “Power, Process and Participation: Tools for Change”)

Time60 to 90 minutes

TimeA half to a full day

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Objectives

• To portray the interactions between the physical environment and human activities overspace and time.

• To identify a community’s natural characteristics, both current and historical• To familiarize new project participants to the community• To introduce community members to environmentally sensitive areas of the community

MaterialsPaper and penSome form of transportation, depending on the area the transect will coverCamera or video camera (optional)

Process

1) Select a transect line that extends across the community. The line may extend in anydirection as long as it crosses all major ecological and production zones, including theprotected areas of the watershed. It may be necessary to do more than one transect,depending on the pattern and complexity of the landscape or the size of the community.

2) Choose about six or ten people representing a cross-section of the community. Discussthe exercise with the group. Look out on the landscape from an overlook point with localresidents to choose a representative path. Depending on the selected route, this pointcould be a high spot in the landscape or a community boundary.

3) Ask the group to divide into three observer teams for sanitation and infrastructurepatterns; water points, slope and drainage; and socio-economic indicators. Encourage thegroups to make general observations even if the topics overlap. Local residents can dothe transect but inviting government extension officers is also a possibility. If the area islarge and a vehicle is not available, subdivide the transect and assign the parts to two orthree smaller groups.

4) During the walk, take time for brief and informal interviews of residents in each of theecological zones. During these open-ended interviews, focus on such resource issues assanitation, land tenure, access to and availability of water, garbage and waste disposal, orothers that residents identify as issues of concern. Interviewers should ask questions butlet residents steer the discussion and ask questions of group members.

5) At the end of the exercise, compile field notes and construct a landscape/land use profile.The information from the interviews can also be used later to help determine problemsand opportunities.

:

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Remember

Observe who is doing what tasks in the community, and the differencesbetween the roles of men and women.Consider what are the appropriate spatial and organizational scales foranalysis, action, advocacy, policy change and follow-up.

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ommunity Dramaadapted from Rocherleau et. al "Power, Process and Participation: Tools for Change")

imeariable, depending on the type of drama and

he context of presentation, but we suggest ainimum of two hours.

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Objectives

• to challenge conventional thinking and introduce new ideas• to stimulate the expression of ideas that otherwise would go unheard, therefore providing

an alternative form of communication• to raise awareness, motivate people, enrich understanding of relevant issues, and/or

promote change.

MaterialsProps gathered from local materials, markers, and large sheets of paper. A cassette recorder andvideo camera are optional.

Process

Brazil has a long tradition of community drama and theatre which has often served as anexample and model for other communities throughout Latin America. The Brazilian dramacalled Teatro del Oprimido, or Theatre of the Oppressed, is an interactive form of drama thatfocuses on issues of repression, but can be used to address a variety of issues. There are severalmethods to do community drama, the Brazilian method is described in Method 1 below.

Method 1: Teatro del OprimidoImprovise plays around locally suggested themes, using community members as actors. Theactors can improvise as the play unfolds. While the play is going on, stop the story at a point ofcrisis, (e.g. conflict, racism, inequity, etc.), and ask members of the audience to join the play andact out what they think should happen next. The play therefore becomes an interactive processthrough which various scenarios can be played out and often leads to discussion about whichwould be the 'best' solution.

Method 2: Professional theatre groupsThis is a more formal method that does not include the community as participants. It involvesthe performance of a production prepared by actors and actresses who gather information in thecommunity, analyze it, improvise a story, rehearse, and finally perform it to the community.

Method 3: ImprovisationThis method presents a combination of method one and two discussed above. Here participantsfrom the audience tell a story with a special problem or issue that is relevant to the community.Volunteer people improvise based on this story, they rehearse, and then present it to the rest ofthe group as a skit. Audience participation is elicited to see if they agree with the solution putforth through the skit.

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Community Vision Collage

RememberCommunity drama and theatrical presentations involve personalemotions and evoke a wide range of reactions including anger,frustration, hurt feelings, laughter, inspiration, etc. To deal withthese feelings and to maximize outcomes from the activity it isbeneficial to engage in discussion following the performance. Ifthere is a lack of participation, do some preparatory studies of theaudience and its context before the activity.

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Objectives

• To build community cohesion• To increase women’s participation in community planning.

MaterialsPaper, crayons, magazines, scissors, poster paper, glue or tape

Process

Break participants into groups. Ask each group to draw or find a picture to portray somethingthat they feel would be of benefit to them as well as others in the community. Have each grouptape or glue their vision to the poster board and talk about it using the following questions as aguide: What are the obstacles to achieving this vision?

What resources are needed to achieve this vision?Who could help in achieving this vision?

This exercise can be useful done in conjunction with resources puzzle and/or gender matrixanalysis.

References

TimeApproximately 60minutes

RememberAn exercise such as this may create conflict betweengroups if groups disagree with each others priorities.Remind the group that in an idea generating process noideas are wrong.

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Ashby, A. Jacqueline and Vernooy, Ronnie. “New paths for participatory management in theCalico River watershed, Matagalpa, Nicaragua” International Development Research Centre,http://www.idrc.ca/minga/conflict/chap13.html

Biehl, Janet. Rethinking Ecofeminist Politics (1995), Boston: South End Press

Braidotti, Rosi, Ewa Charkiewicz, Sabine Hausler, Saskia Wieringa. Women, the Environmentand Sustainable Development: Towards a Theoretical Synthesis (1994), London: Zed Books inassociation with INSTRAW

Centre for Human Settlements. “Community-Based Watershed Management in Santo Andre, SaoPaulo, Brazil Revised Proposal” (1998) Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia

Centre for Human Settlements. “Community-Based Watershed Management in Santo Andre, SaoPaulo, Brazil Inception Report,” (1999) Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia

Gomez, B. Cecilia and Rojas, P. Alfonso. “Sparkling ideas in Campoalegre, Colombia:managing the watershed to sustain the water supply” International Water and Sanitation Centre,http://www.irc.nl/products/planotes35/pnts12.htm

Inter-American Commission of Women. “Plan of Action of the CIM on Women’s Participationin Power and Decision-Making Structures,” (1999)http//www.oas.org/cim/English/Plan%20of%20Action%20Power.html

Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-Making forSustainable Development. “Recommendations for Action,” (1999),http://www.ispnet.org/recsen.html

Jackson, C. “Environmentalisms and Gender Interests in the Third World” in Development andChange, 24(4), 649-71.

Lee-Smith, Diana. Gender, Urbanization and Environment: A Research and Policy Agenda(1994), Kenya: Mazingira Institute

Locke, Catherine. “Constructing a Gender Policy for Joint Forest Management in India,” inDevelopment and Change, 30(1), 265-285.

Moser, Caroline O.N. and Linda Peake Women, Human Settlements and Housing (1987),London; New York: Tavistock Publications.

Moser, Caroline O.N. “Mobilization is Women’s Work: Struggles for Infrastructure inGuayaquil, Ecudor,” in Moser, Caroline O.N. and Linda Peake Women, Human Settlements andHousing (1987), London; New York: Tavistock Publications.166-194.

Parker, A. Rani. Another Point of View: A manual on Gender Analysis Training for GrassrootsWorkers” (1993), New York: UNIFEM

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Participatory Research and Gender Analysis. “Participatory Tools, Methods and Approaches,”(1999), http://www.prgaprogram.org/prga/toolbox.html

Rocheleau, Dianne, Rachel Slocum, Barbara Thomas-Slayter, Lori Wichhart. Power, Processand Participation: Tools for Change (1995), UK: Intermediate Technology Publications.

Shiva, Vandana. Staying Alive, Women, Ecology and Development (1989), Delhi and London:Kali and Zed book

The World Bank. The World Bank Participation Source Book (1997), Washington D.C.: WorldBank.