mainstreaming gender water and sanitation for asian cities programme, madhya pradesh, india...

W a t e r f o r A s i a n C i t i e s P r o g r a m m e , M a d h y a P r a d e s h , I n d i a

UN-HABITAT MAHILA CHETNA MANCHBHOPAL

GOVERNMENT OFMADHYA PRADESH

Mainstreaming GenderWATER AND SANITATION

Strategy and Action Plan

Copyright © United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 2006

All rights reserved

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, KenyaTel: +254-20-7623060/7625082Fax: +254-20-7623588

DisclaimerThe designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not implythe expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nationsconcerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerningdelimitation of its frontiers or boundaries or regarding its economic system or degree ofdevelopment. The analysis, conclusions and recommendations of the report do not necessarilyreflect the views of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), theGoverning Council of UN-HABITAT or its Member States

ISBN: 92-1-131840-8HS Number: 846/06

October 2006

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Nairobi, Kenya.Govenment of Madhya Pradesh, Urban Administration & Development Department, Bhopal,Mahila Chetna Manch, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Mainstreaming GenderWATER AND SANITATION

Strategy and Action Plan

2STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

Mainstreaming Gender: Water and Sanitation

Acknowledgements

This Gender Mainstreaming Strategy has been developed under the supervision of Mr. AndreDzikus, Programme Manager, Water for Cities Programmes, Water, Sanitation and InfrastructureBranch of UN-HABITAT, Nairobi, and Dr. Kulwant Singh, CTA, Water for Asian CitiesProgramme, UN-HABITAT, New Delhi. Mahila Chetna Manch (MCM), an NGO based in Bhopal,M.P. India, prepared the strategy which was based on a rapid gender assessment of the cities ofBhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, India.

The development of Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and an Action Plan owes a great deal tomany individuals. UN-HABITAT would like to acknowledge significant contribution of Mrs.Nirmala Buch, Chairperson, MCM for leading the effort of developing the strategy and actionplan for its implementation and the team of MCM Professionals including Ms. Rashmi Saraswat,Mr. M.L. Sharma, Mr. Raghuraj Singh as well as Usha Rajeev, Rakesh and Annapurna.

The Strategy document has also benefited from the invaluable ideas and experiences of theCorporators and Staff of the Municipal Corporation of the project cities and therecommendations made by Mr. Sunil Sood, Mayor of Bhopal city, Mr. Vivek Shejwalkar, Mayor ofGwalior city, Dr. (Mrs) Uma Shashi Sharma, Mayor of Indore city and Mrs. Sushila Singh, Mayorof Jabalpur city.

The Strategy and Action Plan also gained new and innovative ideas from the constructivesuggestions made by Mr. P. D. Meena, Principal Secretary and Mr. Malay Shrivastava, Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Department of Urban Administration and Development, Government ofMadhya Pradesh, Mr. Gulshan Bamra, Project Director, UWSEIMP, Bhopal and Mr. AniruddheMukerjee, CTA, Water for Asian Cities Programme, India, UN-HABITAT, Bhopal.

STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANMainstreaming Gender: Water and Sanitation 3

FOREWORD

UN-HABITAT in collaboration with Asian Development Bank initiated the Water for Asian CitiesProgramme with the objective of achieving Millennium Development Goal 7 Targets 10 and 11 aimedat reducing the number of people without water and basic sanitation facilities by half by 2015, andimproving the living conditions of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. In India the Programme isbeing implemented in the four cities of Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur in the state of MadhyaPradesh. The programme is specially focused on promoting pro-poor urban water and sanitationgovernance, improving environmental sanitation, water demand management and capacity building ofvarious stakeholders. The Programme seeks to address the concerns and needs of all sections ofpopulation, particularly of women who constitute half the population. Gender mainstreaming istherefore an important cross cutting issue of concern in all aspects of policy making, programmeplanning and project design.

UN-HABITAT requested Mahila Chetna Manch, a non-governmental organization based in Bhopal, toformulate a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for Water for Asian Cities Programme to ensure thatgender perspectives are incorporated in water and sanitation related policies, programmes and projects.A Rapid Gender Assessment informed the gender mainstreaming strategy and captured the voices ofwomen, particularly in the slum areas. The proposed strategy was also discussed in a Stakeholders’Workshop in Bhopal in March 2006.

I am pleased to present the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy not only as a tool for incorporatingwomen’s concerns and needs in development, but also as a means of empowering women by givingthem an effective voice in decisions affecting their livelihoods and by promoting their role andcontribution as agents of change within their respective communities.

The Strategy emphasizes the benefits of entrusting the responsibility to groups of women and men oftaking control of solving their water and sanitation problems at the local level, particularly slums whichare highly deficient in water and sanitation services. It highlights the need for capacity building atdifferent levels, from head offices to the grassroots level, to apply gender sensitive budgeting, impactanalysis and monitoring and evaluation.

This strategy document is being adapted and used by policy makers, programme managers andimplementing agencies in the Water for Asian Cities Programme. I believe that it will also help otheractors in the water and sanitation industry to gain a better understanding of the critical linkages betweengender mainstreaming, women’s empowerment, poverty reduction and the Millennium DevelopmentGoals.

Anna K. TibaijukaUnder-Secretary-General andExecutive DirectorUN-HABITAT

UN-HABITAT



MESSAGE

Government of Madhya Pradesh is deeply committed to improving the quality of life of thepeople. We firmly believe development strategies must transform the institutions based onthe principle of equal rights, equal opportunity and equal voice for women and men. Whilethe great inertia and difficulty in change pose a challenge to meet our goals, transformationsare always a possibility. The Gender mainstreaming strategy evolved under UN-HABITAT’sWater for Asian Cities Programme by pogramme partner Mahila Chetna Manch, as a resultof various consultations and need assessment can be optimistically seen as a tool tostrengthen the institutional mechanism and make local governance more gender sensitiveand responsive.

Water for Asian Cities Programme of UN-HABITAT and the ADB supported Urban SlumEnvironment Improvement Project and also the recently launched Jawaharlal NehruNational Urban Renewal Mission aims at harnessing the potential of reform in urbaninfrastructure. An engendered approach to reforms will not only catalyze investment inurban infrastructure but also ensure that the voices of the marginalized population,especially the women is heard and adhered to. While several reform initiatives have beentaken e.g. the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act and model municipal law, there is apotential for further reform-oriented steps in order to meet the development objectives.

I hope that this publication will contribute to both better policy and better practice in the fieldalong with an engendered outlook towards efficiency in urban infrastructure and servicedelivery mechanisms, participation of men and women and accountability of urban localbodies. The state government will be leading the efforts at its implementation.

Jayant Kumar MalaiyaMINISTERUrban Administration & DevelopmentHousing & EnvironmentGovernment of Madhya Pradesh




MESSAGE

Gender equality and equity are indispensable to realization of Millennium Development Goalsespecially relating to water and sanitation. We are aware that the problem of water and sanitation isfaced more by women as compared to men. In this context we appreciate the endeavour of MahilaChetna Manch to prepare the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy supported by UN-HABITAT incollaboration with the Asian Development Bank under its Water for Asian Cities Programme.

This strategy recognizes women’s concerns and perspectives in water and sanitation services and pavesway for enlisting active participation of men and women to share the responsibility for handling theservices. The state of Madhya Pradesh is committed to the implementation of this strategy.

I hope that with the effective implementation of the strategy and its action plan, local bodies will haveenhanced capacity and responsiveness to provide water and sanitation services with equity and efficiency.

Prabhu Dayal MeenaPrincipal SecretaryUrban Administration &Development DepartmentGovernment of Madhya Pradesh




MESSAGE

Gender Mainstreaming strategy is a blue print to centre stage gender in all developmentinitiatives. However, the understanding of the concept of gender mainstreaming and theskills to implement it at local and organizational level still has a long way to go. In thispursuit, this document will definitely enable local governance organisation to encourage thepromotion and use of gender-sensitive approach in the water andsanitation programmes.

I am hopeful that this Gender Mainstreaming strategy developed under Water from AsianCities Programme of UN-HABITAT will help in meeting the critical demands of generatinggender disaggregated data in water and sanitation services along with gender senstiveindicators and thereby form a basis for the successful implementation of water and sanita-tion policies and strategies. The action plan set out in the document will enable the MunicipalCorporations and the department to become gender inclusive and sensitive not only in theirapproach but also in their procedures, rules and regulations.

I am sure that the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and action plan set out will enhance thecapacities of the local bodies to enable them to provide thrust on the conduction of localservices and governance in a manner that is transparent and accountable to both men andwomen.

Malay ShrivastavaCommissionerUrban Administration &Development DepartmentGovernment of Madhya Pradesh




Executive Summary 10

I. Introduction 18

II. Overview of Water for Asian Cities (WAC) Programme in India and Priority Areas 20

III. Gender Mainstreaming – Concept, Evolution, Definitions 24

IV. Rapid Gender Assessment and Emerging Issues for Strategy and Action 28

(a) Highlights of Rapid Gender Assessment vis a vis Thematic Areasof Water for Asian Cities Programme 28

(b) Emerging Issues for Strategy and Action 30

V. Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Water for Asian Cities Programme in India 31(i) Vision 31(ii) Basic Ideology 32(iii) Assumptions 33(iv) Challenges 33(v) Objectives 34(vi) Strategy 34

VI. Action Plan in Thematic Areas of WAC 38VII. Synergy in Gender Mainstreaming Strategy of WAC Programme and Gender Action Plan of MP

Urban Project (UWSEIP) 48

VIII. Indicators of Achievement 50

IX. Annexure - Action Plan for implementing GMS: Time Frame, Responsible Authorities 52

X. References 66

XI. Glossary 66

Contents

Executive Summary



Lack of safe water and sanitation remains one of theworld’s most urgent health issues. In India, the 10th FiveYear Plan detailed the ways services in the poorestcommunities are invariably deficient and how populationin high income areas are feeling the pressure of acutewater shortage. The poor are doubly disadvantaged – theyget inadequate supplies of water at costs much higher thanthe rich and the little water they do get is often of poorquality.

The United Nations Millennium Goal 7, target 10 and 11envisage actions–

(i) To reduce by half the proportion of people withoutsustainable access to safe drinking water andadequate sanitation by 2015 and

(ii) To achieve significant improvement in the lives of atleast 100 million slum dwellers by 2020.

The UN-HABITAT initiated the Water for Asian Cities(WAC) programme to address this MillenniumDevelopment Goal and the two targets. In India, theprogramme is focused on the four cities of Bhopal,Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur in MP.

Women and girls are the primary collectors,transporters, users and managers of water in thehousehold. They are also the promoters of home andcommunity based sanitation activities. They bear themaximum impact of inadequate, deficient orinappropriate water and sanitation services. Yet, in thepublic domain men are seen as planners and decisionmakers. Women’s views and perspectives are notrepresented, thereby adversely affecting the equity,efficiency and sustainability of these services as they failto address the different gender roles and consequentdifferential in needs and perspectives. This document onGender Mainstreaming Strategy in WAC in India hasbeen prepared in this context.

This document is divided into eight parts.Part I. The background of this exercise and the subject.Part II. An overview of the WAC in India and its priority

areas.Part III. The concept of Gender Mainstreaming, its evolution

as well as various relevant terms and their definitions.Part IV. Rapid Gender Assessment and Emerging Issues for

Strategy.Part V. Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for WAC

programme in India, the Vision, Basic Ideology,Assumptions, Challenges, Objectives and theStrategy.

Part VI. Action Plans for the Thematic Priority Areas of WACprogramme.

Part VII. Synergy in Gender Mainstreaming in UN-HABITATsupported WAC programme and Gender ActionPlan of Asian Development Bank (ADB) supportedMP Urban Project (UWSEIP) in the same four projectcities.

Part VIII. Indicators of Achievement.

The concept of gender mainstreaming in developmentplanning and projects has a long history in developmentpolicy discourse. “Integration of Women in Development”leading to the beginnings of Women in Development (WID)projects which remained small isolated projects of incomegeneration. The concepts and strategies of Women AndDevelopment (WAD) and Gender And Development (GAD)focused on various aspects of equity, equality andparticipation.

Women’s issues and concerns are important in alldevelopment planning and projects and the success of anyinitiative depends substantially on recognition of theirdifferent needs, concerns, perspectives and contributionsand also the gender relations. Gender mainstreaming notonly seeks to ensure incorporation of women’s and men’sneeds and perspectives but also sees their contribution tothe efficiency and sustainability of the developmentinitiatives themselves.

Executive Summary


Gender, refer to the arrary of sociallyconstructed roles and relationships,personality traits, attitudes,behaviours, values, relative power andinfluence that society ascribes to thetwo sexes on a different basis. Genderis thus an acquired identity that islearned, which changes over time, andvaries widely within and acrosscultures. Gender Equality means thatthe different behaviours, aspirationsand needs of women and men areconsidered, valued and favouredequally. Gender Equity, on the otherhand, means fairness in the treatmentfor women and men, according totheir respective needs. This maytherefore include equal treatment ortreatment that is different but which isconsidered equivalent in terms ofrights, benefits, obligations andopportunities.

Gender Mainstreaming is a strategyfor making women’s and not onlymen’s concerns and experiences anintegral dimension in the design,implementation, monitoring andevaluation of policies andprogrammes in all political, economicand social spheres. It assesses theimplications for women and men ofany planned action, includinglegislation, policies or programmes,in any area and at all levels.

Gender Mainstreaming requires that:Unequal gender relations beaddressed both as a cause and as afactor in the intensification of povertywhen considering ways of achievingpro poor governance. The issue ofWomen’s Agency and well being hasalso, therefore, to be considered informulating the strategy ofmainstreaming gender. Women’sAgency is defined as the capacity ofwomen for autonomous action in theface of constricting social sanctionsand structural inequalities.

Gender Mainstreaming also seeks tolead to empowerment of women

which refers to the expansion inwomen’s ability to make strategicchoices in terms of rights to assetsand services. A Rapid GenderAssessment (RGA) was done in thefour cities in August –September 2005prior to the formulation of the GenderMainstreaming strategy. ThisAssessment highlighted the policycontext and other resources andassets available to support GenderMainstreaming in WAC and thepolitical commitment to the broadgoal and objectives of GenderMainstreaming. It also confirmed theinequalities and inequities faced bywomen in the water and sanitationsector.

The Constitution of India guaranteesequality and non-discrimination onany ground including gender. MadhyaPradesh has a State Policy for Women.It includes a number of action pointsthat bear a direct relevance to waterand sanitation services. Urban policiesand programmes for water andsanitation have been conceived andlooked upon as engineering solutionsespecially for efficient land use andplanning of supplies. Issues of genderequity and participation of women donot figure in such technical options.The voices of women captured in theRapid Gender Assessment indicated alack of responsiveness andunderstanding of their needs by theservice providers. Women interviewedin the slums indicated negligibleparticipation in government schemesas also in the schemes andprogrammes for water and sanitationservices. There were very feworganizations working in the slums.There is significant participation bywomen in the slums in intra familydecision making in different matters.

Patriarchal values and norms persistand gender role stereotypes continueto be embedded in the perceptions ofdecision makers and these are alsointernalised by women themselves.

The one third reservation in the localbodies introduced by the 74th

Constitutional Amendment in 1992was an important step to place womenin these institutions of self governmentbut patriarchal pressures have soughtto undermine its effectiveness. Lack ofunderstanding of what the term gendermeans has led to inappropriateconception and location of ‘Sulabh’toilet complexes. There are examplesof self help by women and moreimportantly, of women’s voices urgingaction, and expressing willingness tocontribute.

There is an urgent need to givesecurity of tenure to slum dwellers,have ‘in situ’ improvement of slums,and immediate improvement of watersupply and sanitation on an adequatelevel as a priority charge for water andsanitation sector project. There is lackof information, support and trainingfor women.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategyfollows a number of international andnational commitments and decisions.The strategy stipulates incorporatinggender concerns into all activitiesplanned in Water for Asian CitiesProgrammes so that women’s andmen’s needs and priorities areadequately addressed. The strategyemphasizes the role of women andmen as active participants, agents ofchange and also as beneficiaries ofany efforts to improve access to waterand sanitation and to bring aboutdemocracy and good governanceespecially at the municipal level. Itenvisages support to relevantorganizations, departments and otherpartners working in the area of waterand sanitation, through advocacy,training, institutional capacitystrengthening in gendermainstreaming, resource mobilizationand operational activities includingappropriate norms, procedures forequitable access, participation inmanagement and decision making.



Vision

Faster, equitable, just and sustainable achievement ofMillennium Development Goal 7, Targets 10 and 11 in thefour project cities for both women and men Particularly fromsocially excluded marginalised sectors, by 2009 through propoor governance and by removing inequalities and inequitiesin women’s access and control over services, resources andopportunities for participation in decision making, operation& maintenance, monitoring and evaluation of, andpartnership in water and sanitation services.

Basic Ideology

1. Men’s and women’s circumstances, interests and prioritiesare different not only because of biological differencesbut because society’s conception of male and femaleroles and responsibilities, positions them in a specificrelationship to one another. In poor urban areas, it isgenerally women and especially girls who are moreaffected than men by inadequate provision of water andsanitation.

2. Water should be managed as an economic as well as asocial good.

3. A gender equity approach within the water sector strivesfor a more balanced division between women and men inaccess to information, the amount of physical work,sharing contributions in time and cash, the degree ofdecision-making, access to resources and benefits andthe control over these resources and benefits to addresstheir needs and special responsibilities.

4. Gender perceptions concern both men and women andthese generally stem from social concepts of theirdifferent roles and responsibilities both in the private andpublic sphere and in their relations with one another. Thecomulative inequities are more for women, therefore theinitiative necessarly tilts in their favour.

5. Gender Mainstreaming will address these perceptionsand concerns in all aspects of the programmes andprojects within WAC and not only where these areobvious in the identification of target groups andbeneficiaries of a specific set of activities.

6. The system will meet women’s needs by involving womenas well as men in management and in the decisionmaking process. This involvement will thereforecontribute to efficient use of valuable water resources andconservation of environment having maximum impact ontheir well being.

Assumptions

Gender Mainstreaming and its ideology as presented herehave certain assumptions on governance, participation,costs and benefits and the implications of equity, efficiencyand sustainability of different systems of governance.1 It is costly to maintain and sustain an unequal,

iniquitous system or structures of social relations orgovernance.

2 Gender Mainstreaming in water and sanitation is not onlyan issue of equity but also of efficiency and sustainabilityof water and sanitation services.

3 Gender perspectives have to be integrated into allpolicies, programmes and projects, into capacity buildingactivities, into methodology of the developmentinitiatives, into routine monitoring as well as in reportingmechanisms and procedures

4 Dialogue and consultation with women and menparticularly at the local level is an effective measure to getmaximum impact, efficiency and people’s satisfaction.

5 When seeking community participation, it has to beparticipation of women and men and not only of acommunity in general.

6 Participation has to be not only in the presence of womenin the institutions or structures of governance as issometimes practiced by inclusion of token women andtoken of other marginalized sections in them.Participation must include willingness to participate aswell as the ability and opportunity to participate and anenabling environment.

7 Focus on the perceptions, knowledge, contributions,priorities and needs of both men and women.

8 Adoption of the strategy of mobilization of women’sgroups particularly of those with limited or no access toresources in view of the goal of pro poor governance.

Executive Summary


access to adequate water andsanitation and

(b) improving the life of slumpopulation in the project cities byMarch 2009, to cover 100% ofthe population both women andmen with appropriate, adequateand sustainable water andsanitation services in these citiesby the year 2009 and

(c) to ensure that 100% of schoolshave full time water supply andseparate toilets for boys and girls.

(d) have open defecation free citiesby the year 2009.

(e) all public institutions, offices,centres, shopping complexes, etc.have water supply and toiletfacilities which are sustained andfunctioning.

(f) local women and their groups arein command of the managementand functioning of waterdistribution and communitysanitation facilities at the locallevels particularly the slums.

Strategy

Gender Mainstreaming in WACprogramme is an issue of goodgovernance in planning andmanagement of water and sanitationwhich is pro poor and ensuresinclusion of perspectives and needsof all especially women who have notbeen adequately represented in theinstitutions of governance in waterand sanitation sector and in theplanning, implementation, monitoringand evaluation systems so far.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategyin WAC programme is at the policylevel, in the implementation,monitoring and evaluation as well asat the community level participation.Expected outcome of this exerciserange from efficiency, costeffectiveness, demand responsivenessto improved design andimplementation driven by aninclusive, participatory approach. The

strategy also takes into account thegender impact of all projectcomponents – engineering,institutional strengthening, financial,community development and healthcomponents.

The strategy and its action plan is onfive axis –(i) inclusion of gender expert and

expert in programmemanagement and implementation,at the state and MunicipalCorporation level (in PMU andPIUs) and staff with genderexpertise in project design,selection, implementation andmonitoring

(ii) introduction of gender issuesin programme framework,reviews, workshops and all otheractivities for policy proposals,programme development,monitoring and evaluation,framing and inclusion of genderrelated guidelines and principlesin programmes, undertakinggender analysis in designingprojects.

(iii) ensuring crucial infrastructure,processes and practices of serviceproviders for water and sanitationto address identified gaps inmeeting the needs of women andgirls.

(iv) enabling women and men fromall sections especially those fromthe socially excluded, deprivedsections, to participate in decisionmaking fora through legal policymeasures and at all levels andstages of water and sanitationsector projects and services atcommunity level throughorganizing local women’s groups,capacity building, and entrustingresponsibilities

(v) advocacy, awareness,sensitization on gender issues inwater and sanitation sector for alllevels of policy making andimplementation and supportingeducation and curriculumdevelopment.

Challenges

1. Negative perceptions aboutwomen, their role andcapabilities.

2. Continued invisibility of genderconcerns to decision makers andimplementation officials.

3. Assumption that technical areasare in principle “GenderNeutral”.

4. Insufficient gender awareness andsensitivity at all levels.

5. Generally viewing the needto look at gender only inselection of beneficiaries,target groups. Even in beneficiaryand target group selection, thereis inability to see the intrahousehold inequalities.

6. Continuing political, social,cultural constraints, in fullparticipation of all sections andgender.

7. Low level of literacy andawareness limiting women’sparticipation.

8. The inability of the genderspecialists to respond adequatelyto having sector specificinformation.The inability of sector specialiststo understand gender issues andto adequately involve themselvesin incorporating gender concernsand priorities and use theirspecific knowledge for it.

Objectives

Promoting gender equity, efficiencyand sustainability of water supply andsanitation facilities according toneed, convenience and suitability asidentified in the RGA and infurtherance of the MDG 7 and targets10 and 11.

More specific objectives are(a) a time bound reduction of the

number of people both womenand men, girls and boys without



Community Participation and Gendered Normsof Participation

An important area for success of WSS is participation of thelocal community at various stages of formulation,implementation, monitoring and evaluation of theprogramme and projects. Participatory processes do notautomatically include women for a number of reasons. Theparticipation strategy in Gender Mainstreaming thereforemoves from community participation to participation ofwomen as well as men.

The implementation and monitoring in this strategyincludes establishment of gender sensitive indicators forreporting and monitoring the impact of projects andinterventions. It includes quantitative targets as well as theirqualitative interpretation. The interim and finalevaluation will see this quantitative data and its qualitativeinterpretation and include a comparison of the situation at thecommencement (baseline) with the situation at different stagesof the projects and at the time of completion of projects. Thiswill be seen, for instance, in changes in men’s and women’sinvolvement in decision making in their water and sanitationpractices, in the constraints faced by women in managementand control of the facilities created at the community andhousehold level. An overarching part of the strategy isadvocacy, sensitization, awareness of gender issuesand strong mandate and support to gender units.

Action Plan

Leadership Role of the State Government andProject Directorate

At the state level, government and the project directoratewill play the role of overall direction for GenderMainstreaming. The directorate will undertake acomprehensive assessment of the implication of policies,programme and actions at all levels relevant for water and

sanitation services in urban areas. They will incorporatepolicy directions under the WAC and water and sanitationprojects to work to enhance women’s agency by promotinglocal woman’s organisations, giving women rights andproject created assets, increasing their ablility, efficiencyoperation, maintenence of WSS. They will be(i) Building women inclusive local institutions, women’s

committees with adequate number of women ateffective levels e.g. chairpersons, secretaries andtreasurers.

(ii) Making women, chairpersons for water and sanitationcommittees.

(iii) Providing for democratic elections to wardcommittees and mohalla committees and makingwomen chairpersons in at least one-third of them.

(iv) Enhancing women’s participation in institutions ofgovernance.

(v) Ensure consultation and active participation of localwomen and their groups in decision making in waterand sanitation services at local levels especially insevice deficient areas and give resources forimprovement.

(vi) Promote collection of gender disaggregated datarelating to WSS in all institutions.

(vii) Ensure that action is taken to assess gender impact ofall project components - engineering, institutionalstrengthening, financial, community development andhealth components.

(viii) Undertake gender responsive budgeting or analysis ofbudgets in the project office and in the four municipalcorporations.

Pro Poor Water and Sanitation Governance

The institutions of governance must be gender sensitive andresponsive in terms of their composition in representation,in their management and in their operational personnel.There should be clear scope for participation of women andmen also ensuring that this participation is informed andorganized and the rules and procedures are explicit for this

Executive Summary


objective. The institutions must haveequal participation of women andmen, and they must ensuretransparency and gender equity in theallocation of resources in the projectseven when these appear primarilytechnical.

An institutional mechanism of nodalgender unit and gender focal points willhave to be set up. The WAC projectdirectorate at the state level will have anodal gender unit to ensure gendermainstreaming in all stages of the WACprogramme in the four cities andoperationalising the gendermainstreaming strategy. It will workdirectly with the project director. It willbe assisted by an advisory committee inwhich, among other, partners incapacity building and GenderMainstreaming in WAC will berepresented. Each partner municipalcorporation will have a gender focalpoint who will be responsible forhelping the municipal commissioner toimplement the Gender MainstreamingStrategy and its action programme, forregular reporting to the project directorat the state level. The costs on theseunits will form as a part of the costs ofwater supply and sanitation projects inthe four cities.

The municipal corporations must bemade inclusive and sensitive (i) in theirapproach, (ii) in their procedures,rules and regulation for participationof women and men and (iii) in theirnorms, rules and procedures ofproviding services and resources ofwater supply and sanitation, theirinformation, and management. Anexpert group will review these aspectswithin 2006-07.

An exercise is to be undertaken foridentification of roles andresponsibilities of women and men inall aspects of water supply andsanitation and consequently theirrespective stakes in the provision,operation, efficiency andsustainability of the services. This will

enable attention to meeting theseneeds and priorities appropriately.Here an important aspect will bereducing women’s drudgery resultingfrom inefficient and inappropriateways of providing water supply andsanitation services.

The 74th Constitutional Amendmenthas already provided a one-thirdreservation among the electedcorporators. The next step will be toensure adequate representation inall the committees. As gendersensitive and responsiveinstitutions, the municipalcorporations will ensure(i) A lead role of women within all

local decision making committeeson water management and in themanagement of the assets andinfrastructure created by theprojects under WAC programme.

(ii) The monitoring and reportingarrangements will see(i) percentage share of

resources and benefits bywomen,

(ii) percentage share of positionsheld by women in themanagement and

(iii) actions and steps taken toaddress needs ofappropriateness, specialseparate facilities for womenand gender sensitivity inlocations, selection andconstruction of facilities.Action taken to removeinstitutional, cultural,economic and practicalbarriers created by patriarchalpatterns of decision making.

In the selection of projects andconsultants in the designing stage ofthe projects and studies contemplatedin the WAC programme in the fourcities actions will include(i) inclusion of gender experts on

project teams.(ii) facilitation of participation by

both men and women bystructuring project rules and

procedures, determining genderroles in the WSS sector in theproject area, determining barriersto gender and appropriateimplementation and determiningsteps for reducing or removingthese barriers.

In implementation and supervision ofWAC programme action will be takenfor(a) awareness raising of municipal

corporations and water andsanitation utility managementabout gender issues with training,workshops and study tours andcommunication material.

(b) inclusion of gender experts onimplementation staff units.

Action will be taken to identify andpromote women’s Self Help Groupsand committees. These committeesand groups will be(i) consulted in the selection of water

and sanitation models and theirlocation and construction.

(ii) given support with training andrevolving fund and responsibilityfor governance by handing overwater distribution andmanagement of sanitation blocksat the community level in identifiedlocalities or slums. Local women’sgroups will also be involved inmonitoring and evaluation of theuse and impact of the water andsanitation services.

Collection of gender disaggregateddata related to water and sanitationwill be promoted in all institutionsconcerned with water sanitationservices. Gender responsivebudgeting or analysis of budgets willbe undertaken in the project office andin the four corporation at the time offormulation of further initiatives underWAC programme so that policies ongender equity are matched withadequate resource allocations. Forgrievance redresal monitoring, acommittee for women be formed inmunicipal corporation.



Executive Summary

Integrated Urban Environmental Sanitation

• Target of open defecation free project cities by the year2009. Ensure water supply and sanitation in all publicinstitutions and centres.

• Separate sanitary blocks for men and women with privacy,water supply and electrification.

• Separate and appropriate toilets for boys and girls in allschools in the project cities by the year 2009.

• Hand over public toilets in slums to local women’s groups.• Promote building of toilets in all slum households or joint

toilet complexes for full coverage by the year 2009.• Entrust responsibility of waste segregation and recycling

to groups of urban poor on payment.• Explore entrepreneurship, microcredit, and income

generation opportunity in WSS for poor.

Water Demand Management

• Consulting women’s groups for delivery of equitablewater and sanitation services.

• Women’s groups handling operation, maintenance andregulation of water and sanitation services.

• Involving women in water audit and budgeting and alsorecycling of waste water.

Value Based Water, Sanitation and HygieneEducation

• Teaching tools and the curriculum will be continuouslyreviewed in collaboration with the state educationauthorities.

• WAC Project Office will collaborate with educationdepartment to develop a gender module to include intheir training programmes.

• The Value Based Water Education (VBWE) programmewill integrate Gender Mainstreaming and pro poor issuesinto the planning and implementation of all projectactivities.

• A project steering committee will be set up composed ofkey institutions and stakeholders in each city.

• All schools will include practices to train children in wastesegregation by disposing of waste paper and other wastein different coloured waste bins in the schools.

Training and Capacity Building

• Gender mainstreaming workshops.• Capacity building of programme staff of water and

sanitation services for cities.• Training of staff of state project office and local authorities.• Capacity building of water and sanitation utilities.• Capacity building of local women’s organizations.• Teacher training and raising awareness.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge sharing

Project directorate will initiate action to adopt gendersensitive indicators for monitoring impact of projectinterventions and include them for interim and finalevaluation.

Ensure advocacy, awareness-raising, and informationexchange on gender issues so that all levels of personnelinvolved in water supply and sanitation programmes aresensitized and trained in gender sensitive, pro poorapproaches.

Develop gender-focused information, education, andcommunication materials and tools for dissemination incommunities and civil society. Also setup mechanism/networks for knowledge sharing and exchange ofexperience gained.

Synergy in GMS and Gender Action Plan of ADBwill be operationalised through setting up a combinedgroup.

Indicators of achievement

1. Development of guidelines and practical tools for genderintegration.

2. Ability and willingness of the state WAC project office,water and sanitation utilities and municipal governmentsto utilize gender guidelines and practical tools.

3. Extent of municipal corporation management and waterand sanitation utilities aware of, and utilizing gender andpro poor concepts and frameworks.

4. Number of local women’s groups in each city, withimproved skills in management and participation in WACactivities.

5. Proportion of women trained in use and maintenance offacilities.

6. Number of women in decision making positions withinwater and sanitation utilities.

7. Proportion of women participating in local governanceon issues related to water and sanitation and managinglocal level water distribution and sanitation facilities in theslums.

8. Gap between the goal of full provision and supply ofwater and sanitation services and the current situationreduced.

9. Level of development and inclusion of gender sensitivenorms and standards in the working and practices ofwater and sanitation services providers particularly in theslums.

10. Increase of access to water and sanitation services for themost poor mainly women headed households.

11. Level of satisfaction of the urban poor both women andmen with their water and sanitation services.


Mainstreaming Gender inWater for Asian Cities Programme in India



... In urban Asia, up to 700 million people constituting halfthe population, do not have adequate water, while up to800 million people, or 60 percent of the urban populationare without adequate sanitation.

The report also documents that each year, 2.2 milliondeaths or 4% of all deaths can be directly attributed toinadequate supplies of clean water and sanitation. Each day,there are 6,000 deaths from diarrhoea, mostly of childrenunder 5 years of age. In fact, child mortality rates in citieswithout proper sanitation are 10 to 20 times higher thanthose in cities with adequate sanitation.

At the national level in India, the 10th Five Year Planrecorded how services in the poorest communities areinvariably deficient and even high income areas are feelingthe pressure of acute water shortage. Twenty-one percent ofurban households are served only by a tubewell or handpump, and 59 percent share a public source of water. Asmany as 43 percent of households in urban areas eitherhave no latrines, or no connection to a septic tank or largersewage system (GOI: 2002).

The poor are doubly disadvantaged – they not only obtaininadequate supplies of water at costs much higher than thosefor the rich, but the little water they get is often of poor quality.Then they often end up spending more time and resources inbuying said services from private vendors. Women pay aneven higher price, as they are the ones who fetch water, andare most affected by the lack of adequate sanitation facilities.(www.undp.org.in/webbook/www-wtr-mgnt.htm).

The UN Millennium Goal 7, targets 10 and 11 envisageaction– (i) To reduce by half the proportion of peoplewithout sustainable access to safe drinking water andadequate sanitation by 2015 and (ii) To achieve significantimprovement in the lives of at least 100 million slumdwellers by 2020. The UN-HABITAT initiated the Water forAsian Cities (WAC) programme to address this MillenniumDevelopment Goal and the two targets. In India, theprogramme is focused on the four cities of Bhopal,Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur in the state of MadhyaPradesh for the improvement and expansion of urbanwater supply, sewerage and sanitation, water drainage andsolid waste management. These cities are alsoimplementing projects in this sector with AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB) support where some otherinitiatives are also contemplated.

Madhya Pradesh had an annual rate of urbanization of3.1% in the decade of 1991-2001. Its urban population is26.5% against 27.8% in India. A significant proportion ofthe state’s urban population of 16 million is concentratedin the four cities of Bhopal (1.46 million), Indore (1.52million), Gwalior (0.86 million) and Jabalpur (1.10million). The four cities suffer from poor qualityinfrastructure, environmental degradation and high level ofslum population ranging from 8.81% of urban populationin Bhopal and 16.25% in Indore to 23.42% in Gwaliorand 28.95% of urban population in Jabalpur, municipalcorporation area. The water supply is only for a few hoursa day and the sanitation facilities, particularly in the slums,are poor. The inadequacies of water and sanitation

Lack of safe water and sanitation remains one of the world’s most urgenthealth issues. Some 1.1 billion people worldwide still lack safe waterand 2.6 billion have no sanitation. According to the UN-HABITATpublication in 2003, Water and Sanitation in the World’s Cities: LocalAction for Global Goals, less than half the population in urban centres ofAfrica, Asia and Latin America has water piped into their homes. Lessthan one third of them have adequate sanitation...

Introduction


facilities place the communitiesespecially the poor and womenunder severe stress. It is, therefore,appropriate that initiatives in waterand sanitation services under WACprogramme are operationalised tomaximize their outcomes, taking aholistic approach. The thematicpriority areas of WAC in Indiainclude Pro Poor Urban Water andSanitation Governance, IntegratedUrban Environmental Sanitation,Water Demand Management,Capacity Building, Monitoring,Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing.Gender is a crosscutting importanttheme across all these areas. Hencein addressing the MDG 7 and thetwo targets, the programme seeksto ensure Gender Mainstreaming inall these thematic priority areas.

activities. Yet, in the public domainmen are seen as planners anddecision makers in water andsanitation issues. Women’s viewsand perspectives are notrepresented, thereby adverselyaffecting the equity, efficiency andsustainability of these services asthese fail to address the differentgender roles and consequentdifferential in needs andperspectives of women and men.This Gender MainstreamingStrategy in WAC in India has beenformulated in this context to bringthe required focus on women’s andnot only men’s views, needs,concerns and perspectives.

This document has been arranged ineight parts. The first part, gives the

four, we present the Rapid GenderAssessment undertaken in the fourproject cities in WAC in MadhyaPradesh, India and the EmergingIssues for a Gender MainstreamingStrategy.

Part five presents the GenderMainstreaming Strategy (GMS) forWAC programme in India and morespecifically, in the concerned four citiesof Madhya Pradesh. This part gives theVision and Basic Ideology,Assumptions, Challenges andObjectives of the Strategy and then theStrategy itself. In part six, we presentAction Plan for Gender Mainstreamingin the Thematic Priority Areas of WACprogramme in the four cities. We alsogive the action points along withsuggested responsibilities and time

Women and girls are the primarycollectors, transporters, users andmanagers of water in thehousehold. They are also thepromoters of home and communitybased sanitation activities. Theybear the maximum impact ofinadequate, deficient orinappropriate water and sanitationservices. It impacts their mental andphysical health and reduces thephysical time available foreconomically remunerative

background of this exercise andintroduces the subject. The secondpart, gives an overview of the WACin India and its priority areas asoutlined by UN-HABITAT aftervarious consultations. We thendiscuss the concept of GenderMainstreaming, its evolution as wellas various relevant terms and theirdefinitions, which are important tounderstand in incorporating genderconcerns in this programme as inother development projects. In part

lines for implementation of each ofthem. The Synergy in GenderMainstreaming and Action Plan of UN-HABITAT supported WAC Programmeand Gender Action Plan of ADBsupported MP Urban Project (UWSEIP)is discussed in part seven. Part eightpresents the suggested Indicators ofAchievement in Gender Mainstreamingin WAC programme which, it isproposed, are also relevant for GMS inwater and sanitation initiativeselsewhere. n



The Water for Asian Cities (WAC) Programme is acollaborative initiative between the United NationsHuman Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), theAsian Development Bank (ADB) and the concernedGovernments in the region. The WAC Programme wasofficially launched at the Third World Water Forum(WWF) on 18th March 2003 and a Memorandum ofUnderstanding was signed between ADB and UN-HABITAT on the same day. The first Asian MinisterialForum was held in Osaka, Japan on 19th March 2003and adopted a Ministerial Declaration on Water forAsian Cities.

WAC Programme : Goals and Objectives

The WAC Programme supports the implementation ofthe water and sanitation related MillenniumDevelopment Goal (MDG) and targets in Asian cities,specifically promoting pro poor governance, waterdemand management, increased attention toenvironmental sanitation, and income generation forthe poor linked to water supply and sanitation. Theprogramme seeks to achieve this by (a) mobilizingpolitical will; (b) raising awareness through advocacy,information, education; (c) training and capacitybuilding; (d) promoting new investments in the urban

water and sanitation sector; and (e) systematicmonitoring of progress towards achieving the MDG 7and its targets 10 and 11.In order to pursue the Millennium Development Goal 7-target 10 of reducing the population of people withoutsustainable access to safe drinking water and basicsanitation to half by 2015, UN-HABITAT, under the Waterfor Asian Cities Programme, is developing approaches formaking interventions at city / local levels to extendcoverage to unserved households with higher levels ofsustainability. It is, therefore, promoting pro poor waterand sanitation governance policies and programmes bothat local, sub-national and national levels. Water demandmanagement also falls under this framework of policies tothe extent that it is aiming at equity and efficiency in theprovision of water and sanitation to all sections of societyparticularly the poor sections. Integrated urbanenvironmental sanitation and value based water, sanitationand hygiene education are other important areas.

The overriding thrust of the Water for Asian CitiesProgramme is to enhance capacity at city, country andregional levels and to create an enabling environment fornew flows of investments in the urban water and sanitationsector, with a view to meeting the water and sanitation relatedMillennium Development Goal and targets in Asian cities. n

Urban sustainability in Asian cities is seriously threatened by the growingwater and sanitation crisis. Many Asian cities are not equipped toprovide their growing populations the safe water and sanitation theyneed. The challenge in India is not very different where only 90 percentof the households in urban areas and only 73 percent households inrural areas have access to safe drinking water.

OverviewWater for Asian Cities Programme in India and Priority Areas



non-slum areas, peri-urban areas with short-termand long-term, secure and insecure tenures

• Comprehensive mapping of existing groups, NGOs,CBOs, Self Help Groups and others

• Creating mechanism for dialogue, informationsharing between different groups specifically thevulnerable and unserved

• Conducting studies, where needed, collatinginformation, consolidating and sharing among fourcities, in special groups, access and use of watersupply services in notified short/long lease, non-notified, peri-urban areas, etc.

• Initiating community level planning in all the fourcities to understand key governance gaps andmechanisms for addressing them.

B. Integrated Urban Environmental Sanitation

Priorities for action under this area include thedevelopment of appropriate technological options,promoting public-private partnerships for scaling upsanitation facilities and development of innovativefinancial mechanisms for local funds for sanitationservices. The priority actions recommended are forundertaking a rapid assessment of environmentalsanitation and hygiene behaviour, developing anddemonstrating simple sustainable and easily maintainedtechnologies for sanitation and developing strategiesfor hygiene promotion and community managedsystems for maintenance.

C. Capacity Building

Several priority actions have been identified undercapacity building which are:• Capacity needs assessment study and plan for

capacity building.• Study of models and best practices of different types

in different towns.• Special funds for development units which apply best

practices.• Identification and utilization of resources available

through government schemes and programmes.• Reforming governance structures to enable pro poor

implementation by PHED and others.• Utilizing capacity building resources to strengthen

capacity of elected representatives.• Facilitating collaboration between government,

private sector providers, NGOs, media, academicinstitutions, etc.

WAC Programme in India

The programme’s goal in India is to pursue theaccomplishment of Millennium Development Goal relatingto water and sanitation at local level in four cities ofBhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur in the state ofMadhya Pradesh. Its objective in India is also to promotepro poor water and sanitation governance so that the poorhave affordable access to safe drinking water andsanitation facilities which may improve their health andproductivity and alleviate poverty through better incomegeneration and livelihood opportunities. The WACprogramme is supporting the following areas agreed uponat the Regional Consultations and later at BhopalConsultation in August 2004 and March 2005.

A. Pro poor Urban Water and SanitationGovernance

Promoting pro poor urban governance, which will providean enabling framework for new pro poor investments inurban water supply and sanitation with emphasis onserving the urban poor with piped water supply and formalsanitation facilities, is the cornerstone of WACprogramme. Priority is to be given to promotinginstitutional frameworks that could focus on the needs ofthe poor; decentralized, simplified and transparentprocedures accessible to the poor; communityempowerment and community partnerships; rights-based(including tenurial rights) approaches to the provision ofwater and sanitation, and specific attention andmechanisms to address the needs of women.

One of the key issues here is to find out who and where thepoor are and the level of service being provided. As therights of consumers, especially the poor, are made clear, itis important to educate both consumers and providers ofservices especially in non-notified, and peri-urban areas, ofthe needs and deficits faced by the poor. In this regard,several constraints have been identified which include lackof willingness to charge for these basic services. Severalopportunities exist to work in this direction and they includethe presence of civil society groups, research and traininginstitutes, NGOs, and the state government havingwillingness to collaborate in this endeavour.

Several priority actions have been identified these include:• Government- non-government dialogue and

partnerships for mapping the poor in both slums and

Overview


D. Monitoring, Evaluation andKnowledge Sharing

In order to map the poor usingexisting data and resources includingsatellite images and the available GISinformation, following priority actionshave been recommended.• Identifying relevant institutions

with the data needed.• Establishing a nodal agency such

as a state urban observatory.• Facilitating agreement with town

and country planning authoritiesto consolidate data using GIS.

• Producing data map using thetarget populations ensuring thatsocial mapping, participatoryconsultations and satellite imagingare combined to provide anaccurate picture.

E. Water DemandManagement (WDM)

Introducing demand responsive anddemand management strategies, hasbeen identified for action in order toimprove efficiency and equity of watersupply and water use, and to givemore influence to those currentlydeprived of water and sanitation. Theprogramme plans to focus on allaspects of demand management-economic, social, technical, legal,administrative and institutional.Priority is proposed to be given toreduction of unaccounted for water,pricing and public-privatepartnerships, equity in distribution ofservices and to regulation andreallocation of resources.

Water demand management throughwater audits and diagnostic studiesand local level workshops andtraining, has been identified asanother action point. The participatorydevelopment of water demand

management in the four cities, will befollowed by a comprehensivemonitoring of performance. Thefollowing priority areas have beensuggested for action.• Training needs assessment and

initial city based training on WDM.• Conducting water audits and

diagnostic studies.• Participatory development of

WDM Strategy in four cities.• Starting implementation of WDM

Strategies Phase I.• Monitoring performance.• Income generation for the urban

poor through community basedwater and sanitation services.

The focus will be to develop andimplement strategies for the provisionof water and sanitation services thatwill maximize the income andemployment earning opportunities forthe urban poor. Special attention will begiven to active community involvementand ownership in the provision andmanagement of these services. n



The evolution of the concept of gender mainstreaming indevelopment planning and projects has a long history indevelopment policy discourse. Initially it was noted thatwomen had been completely neglected in developmentplanning as participants and actors of change and that theywere perceived only as passive recipients of some welfareservices. This led to scholars, academicians and women’smovement referring to the “Integration of Women inDevelopment”. Women In Development (WID) projects,however, remained as small isolated projects of incomegeneration. This welfare oriented approach came undersevere criticism as it had little potential to bring about asubstantial change in women’s situation or in genderpower relations. These then led to the concepts andstrategies of Women And Development (WAD) andGender And Development (GAD) focusing on variousaspects of equity, equality, and participation. This shift wasmore inclusive in approach and in understanding thenature of women’s subordination in the context of genderrelations.

The Strategy of Gender Mainstreaming is recognition of(i) the need to look at the concerns and perspectives of

women and men and(ii) the gender relations, roles and responsibilities

impacting their participation in developmentprogrammes and projects.

It was realised that women’s issues and concerns wereimportant in all development planning and projects and thesuccess of any development initiative dependedsubstantially on recognition of these different needs,concerns and contribution. Further, it was noted that itcannot be assumed that women’s needs and concerns getautomatically included in development planning even whencommunities are sought to be involved if special attentionis not given to them. Hence, Gender Mainstreaming isseen as a process which not only seeks to ensureincorporation of women’s and men’s needs andperspectives in development planning, implementation andevaluation but also recognises the contribution of women

to the efficiency and sustainability of the developmentinitiatives themselves.

It is also important to note that Gender Mainstreamingdoes not only concern women. But there are continuedgender gaps in access and control of various resources, inparticipation in decision making institutions, in attainmentsin literacy, education, health and nutrition and inopportunities for work participation which are adverse towomen. Women also have multiple burden of roles andresponsibilities defined in different social and politicalcontexts. Therefore, the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy,takes into account the different roles, responsibilities andneeds of men and women but with special focus onincorporation of women’s needs and perspectives. It alsotakes note of the gender relations. As gender relations androles are socially constructed in different contexts andgroups, the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy alsorecognizes the potential differences among socio-economicgroups and has focus on women in socially excludedgroups as their access and control of various resources andservices continue to be poor.

A number of concepts like gender, gender equality andequity, women’s practical and strategic needs and theconcept of women’s empowerment are important in framinga Gender Mainstreaming initiative and we briefly look attheir definitions.

Sex and Gender

Sex refers to the biological characteristics which definepersons as female or male. Gender, on the other hand, refersto the arrary of socially constructed roles and relationships,personality traits, attitudes, behaviours, values, relative powerand influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on adifferent basis. Gender is thus an acquired identity that islearned, which changes over time, and varies widely withinand across cultures. Gender is also relational and refers notsimply to women or men but to the relationship betweenthem as constructed in different societies.

Gender MainstreamingConcept, Evolution, Definitions


Gender Equality andGender Equity

Gender Equality means that thedifferent behaviours, aspirations andneeds of women and men areconsidered, valued and favouredequally. Their rights, responsibilitiesand opportunities will not depend onwhether they are born male orfemale. All persons, both men andwomen, should be free to developtheir personal abilities and makechoices equally without thelimitations set by stereotypes, rigidgender roles or prejudices.

Gender Equity, on the other hand,means fairness in the treatment ofwomen and men, according to theirrespective needs. This may, therefore,include equal treatment or treatmentthat is different but which isconsidered equivalent in terms ofrights, benefits, obligations andopportunities. In the developmentcontext, a gender equity goal,therefore, often requires built-inmeasures to compensate for thehistorical and social disadvantages ofwomen in order to enable their equalparticipation and access to physical,

social, economic and knowledgeresources and opportunities andabilities for their effective access.

Practical and Strategic GenderNeeds

Women’s needs have been classifiedas practical and strategic, that is, theimmediate needs and the long termneeds. The strategies for gender andempowerment focus on strategicneeds challenging women’ssubordination and work for the goalof women’s empowerment.

25



Women identify their Practical Gender Needs (PGNs)within their socially defined roles, as a response to animmediate perceived necessity. These would, therefore,relate to inadequacies in current living conditions such aswater supply provision, health care, sanitation andemployment. These do not challenge gender divisions oflabour and women’s subordinate position in society whichare at the root of these continued inadequacies inprovisioning and in women’s ability to access them.Meeting only these immediate practical needs may,therefore, not only not reduce these inequalities andinequities but may also reinforce them and reinforcewomen’s subordinate role, exclusion and seclusion.

Strategic Gender Needs (SGNs), on the other hand, areidentified by women as resulting from their subordinatesocial status, and tend to challenge gender divisions oflabour, power and control, and traditionally definednorms and roles. These vary according to particularsocial contexts and may include issues such as legalrights, access to and control of resources, domesticviolence, equal wages, and women’s control over theirbodies. Failure to address these needs can be seen, forinstance, in continued payment of unequal wages tomen and women workers in many parts of the countrydespite the law on the subject and women not evenquestioning it, not exercising equal legal rights inparental property, not questioning domestic violenceand practice of dowry.

Women’s Empowerment

Empowerment implies that people have the choice, they aretaking control of their lives, setting their own agendas,gaining skills (or having their skills and knowledgerecognized), increasing self-confidence, solving problems,and developing self-reliance. Empowerment is both aprocess and an outcome. For women, it implies anexpansion in their ability to make strategic life choices in acontext where this ability was previously denied to them.

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender Mainstreaming Strategy makes a break from only“women’s projects” and merely addressing gaps in women’sattainment in particular areas to making women’s and notonly men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimensionin the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation ofpolicies and programmes in all political, economic and socialspheres, so that inequality between men and women andinequities are not perpetuated. The Gender Mainstreamingprocess assesses the implications for women and men of anyplanned action, including legislation, policies or programmesin any area and at all levels.

The primary objective behind Gender Mainstreaming is todesign and implement all development projects, programmesand policies so that these are at least Gender Neutral i.e., donot reinforce existing gender inequalities, but preferably aregender sensitive i.e., attempt to redress existing genderinequalities and gender positive/transformative i.e., attemptto re-define women and men’s gender roles and relations andattempt to integrate gender perspective in them. The degreeof integration of a gender perspective in any given project canbe conceptualized as a continuum.

Gender Mainstreaming is seen as a process to achievegender equity and overcome the costs of women’smarginalisation. Mainstreaming gender requires:(a) Incorporation of gender concerns in planning, policy

making and implementation to provide effective rightsand dignity to women, and

(b) Women inclusive social, political and economicinstitutions

It also seeks to work for:(i) Transformation of cultural structures of power within the

household and outside,(ii) Ending domestic and public violence, which may often

be caused by issues relating to provisioning, access anduse of resources of water supply and sanitation, and

(iii) Recognition of women’s work (productive andreproductive), their contribution to economy as well astheir economic agency and therefore incorporatingsupport to women’s work as a contribution to theeconomy and not as a welfare measure.

There is crucial inter relation between reducing genderinequality and reducing poverty. In the context of MillenniumDevelopment Goal 7 and its targets 10 and 11 to increasethe coverage and access to safe water and sanitation andreducing the slums, the focus on pro poor governance, waterdemand management and school sanitation in the WACprogramme must recognize this inter relation. Unequalgender relations affect the way in which the burden of povertyis distributed. These can also be the cause of poverty amongwomen and girls in otherwise non-poor families. Thusunequal gender relations need to be addressed both as acause and as a factor in the intensification of poverty whenconsidering ways of achieving pro poor governance. Theissue of Women’s Agency and well being has also,therefore, to be considered in formulating the strategy ofmainstreaming gender.

Women’s Agency is defined as the capacity of women forautonomous action in the face of constricting socialsanctions and structural inequalities. This, in turn, offers aframework in which constraint is seen as constitutive ofgender norms and relations between women and men. Thesenorms and relations are entrenched and lasting but are not



unchanging and, therefore, need to beaddressed to transform unequal genderrelations. Enhancing women’s agency,therefore, requires action on a numberof fronts. Property rights, building ofwomen’s organizations, awareness andcapacity building, effective participationand leadership in community fora e.g.water and sanitation committees and inother decision making bodies,measures to curb domestic and publicviolence on women, sensitizing menand policy makers on gender issues areall important aspects of transforminggender relations.

Studies have shown that women’sactive participation in communitymanagement and control overproductive assets can increase theefficiency with which households andcommunities can use their human,natural and other resources.Mainstreaming also recognizes thatthe incorporation of women’sconcerns and perspectives indevelopment policies and projects andwomen’s participation have to take

note of the constraints and barriersarising from other social, political andeconomic matters.

Gender Mainstreaming alsoseeks to lead to empowerment ofwomen, which refers to theexpansion in women’s ability to makestrategic choices in terms of rights toassets and services. So in a strategy formainstreaming gender in policies andprojects for improvements in water andsanitation services, there is need toaddress barriers to transformativechange of institutions, practices andrelations. The measures, which mayform part of such a strategy, include:(i) Ensuring women’s unmediated,

direct control and ownership ofincome and resources in their ownright through law and established inpractice. Without reasonableincome security, people lack realfreedom to make rational choicesand to be socially responsible.

(ii) Building women inclusive localinstitutions, women’s committees,and committees with adequatenumber of women at effectivelevels in them e.g as chairpersons,

secretaries and treasurers and notjust as token number of members.

(iii) Ensuring that participatoryapproaches are not reduced torituals. Hence, it is important thatwomen’s participation in theinstitutions of governance isenhanced and gender roles areredefined by addressing structuralfactors that influence women’sposition of inferiority andparticipation.

(iv) Enhancing women’s agency andexpanding their capability space.Here education, knowledge andtechnical skills are critical factors inexpanding the capability space.Greater emphasis is needed hereon policy measures forempowering agency of women asagainst the policy of “Protectivedependency” of women,sometimes seen in certainaffirmative actions based onperceptions of women as passiverecipients of welfare measures.

(v) Promoting awareness andunderstanding among men on thecosts of gender inequality in thefamily and society. n



Highlights of Rapid Gender Assessmentvis-à-vis the thematic areas of WAC

An essential preparatory step for formulating a GenderMainstreaming strategy in an area, sector or project is ofGender Assessment. A Rapid Gender Assessment (RGA) wasundertaken in the four project cities in August– September2005 prior to the formulation of the Gender Mainstreamingstrategy. In view of the focus of WAC programme on propoor governance and the visible deficiencies in water andsanitation services in the slums, the RGA focused itshousehold survey on a sample of women in the slums inthese cities. This Assessment highlighted the policy contextand other resources and assets available to support gendermainstreaming in WAC and to the political commitment forits broad goal and objectives. It also confirmed theinequalities and inequities faced by women, particularlywomen in the poverty households and from socially excludedgroups, in the water and sanitation sector.

Assessment of the legal policy and institutional frameworkrevealed that the Constitution of India guarantees equalityand non-discrimination on any ground including sex and theFundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policyenshrined in it promote equality of opportunities and equality

before the law. The 74th Constitutional Amendment in 1992mandated regular elections, more inclusive composition ofall urban local bodies and one-third positions of chairpersonsand members to women, in all municipal corporations. Themunicipal elections held since then have brought a criticalmass of women in these corporations. But in the state’sMunicipal Corporation Act, and in the rules made thereunder, constitution and procedure for ward committees andmohallah (residents) committees related to monitoringgrievances about sanitation, road, drainage, water supply,waste disposal do not adequately provide for democraticelections and effective representation and voice of women.

Madhya Pradesh has a State Policy for Women. It includesa number of action points that bear a direct relevance towater and sanitation services. These are: compulsoryassociation of women in management committees forsanitation activities in urban areas; compulsory consultationwith women in water conservation programmes and handpump management; women’s active involvement in decisionmaking in sanitation projects; and all institutions, wherewomen/girls are housed, work or study, to have separatetoilets by 2007. The policy also provides for a minimum ofone-third committees in municipal bodies to be headed bywomen.

Urban Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific is seriously threatened by thegrowing water and sanitation crisis. Asia is facing a major challenge inthe water and sanitation sector. Eighty percent of the global populationwithout access to improved sanitation, and almost two-thirds withoutaccess to improved water supply, live in Asia. In the year 2000, some830 million people in developing Asia and Pacific did not have safedrinking water. More than 2 billion lacked sanitation facilites. These acuteshortages cause high rates of water-borne disease and death.

And Emerging Issues for Strategy and Action

Rapid Gender Assessment


Women’s visibility in data collection -orientation, updating and presentationsystem is emphasized in the state policyfor women to incorporate gender-disaggregated data and to ensurecontinuous gender analysis and genderbudgeting. Support to capacity buildingof civil society and governmental staffon gender equity issues has also beenstipulated. Despite these policyprovisions there is no gender-balancedrepresentation in the ward committeesand mohalla committees in themunicipal corporations. These havenominations of members made onpolitical considerations. They are noteven fully constituted in every municipalcorporation in the project cities andwomen do not participate in thedecision-making, monitoring or reviewof the projects related to water andsanitation due to cultural, economic,social and communication barriers.

There is virtually no participation ofwomen or other local residents ingovernment schemes and programmesincluding those related to ongoingwater and sanitation or slumimprovement projects. This is partly dueto lack of efforts for sensitization ofprogramme staff to involvecommunities and women in their work.Women’s invisibility in consultations inpublic domain also show decisionmakers’ perceptions of gender rolestereotypes and this further reinforcesthe inequalities for women in water andsanitation services.

Urban policies and programmes forwater and sanitation have beenconceived and looked upon asengineering solutions especially forefficient land use and planning ofsupplies. Issues of gender equity andparticipation of women do not figure inselecting or implementing suchtechnical options. The sector specialistsalso feel that water demandmanagement has nothing to do withgender issues. To some extent this maybe due to less visibility of women inengineering and managerial positions.

The municipal corporations and watersupply and sanitation offices ofgovernment in the PHED in each of thecities surveyed need strong women’scells to enable incorporation of genderconcerns in these services.

The slum-dwellers rated the serviceprovision of water and sanitation aspoor. Women particularly spoke aboutthe lack of responsiveness from thelocal bodies and the public officialsconcerned with water supply and wastedisposal in the four cities. The poorwomen from the slums in these citiescomplained that even their electedcorporators did not redress theirgrievances regarding water andsanitation services and did not visit thelocality often.

The voices of women captured in theRapid Gender Assessment indicated alack of responsiveness andunderstanding of their needs by theservice providers. These were seen, forexample, in inappropriate, inconvenienttimings of water supply, failures inmaintenance of pipelines and watertaps, uncertainties resulting fromirregular water supply or unannounceddisruption in water supply. There wasalso almost complete neglect ofplanning sanitation arrangements in theslums and inappropriate location ofpublic toilets even where these wereprovided in some places.

Water in these cities is supplied once aday, sometimes for less than an hour.Twenty four hours supply is not evendiscussed as a hope or goal. In thesummer supply is even more erratic andis made on alternate days which causesuntold hardships to women who haveto stand under the scorching sun forlong hours, cover great distances tofetch water, go without washing or bydrinking less water besides makingextra efforts to conserve and recyclewater. The non-availability of toiletsfurther compounds the problemsrelated to health and sanitationparticularly for women.

In the RGA only one-third of children inthe slums were reported to be attendingthe Anganwadi centres opened underthe ICDS programme, to avail of thepackage of services of immunization,supplementary nutrition, etc. This isdespite the fact that this programmestipulates location of these centres inurban areas only in the slums. In theschools in these four cities all theprimary schools and secondary schoolsdid not have drinking water facilities, alesser number had toilet facilities.Separate toilets for girls were in evenmuch lesser number. These indicatedthe need of focusing on providingsanitation facilities in all the schoolsand ensuring separate facilities for boysand girls.

Women interviewed in the slumsindicated negligible participation ingovernment schemes as also in theschemes and programmes for waterand sanitation services. There werevery few organizations working in theslums as Mahila Mandals, SHGs or asother women’s organizations. Womenin the slums were spendingconsiderable time daily for earninglivelihood and also spending additionaltime in cooking food for the family. TheGender Mainstreaming Strategy has tolook at how income earningopportunities can be used by thesewomen to enable them to spend lesstime and money in getting water and byproviding a reasonably secure and safeenvironment. At present some of themare spending money to buy water fromvendors at high cost especially duringthe summer months.

There is significant participation bywomen in the slums in intra familydecision making in different mattersranging from purchasing food, clothes,ornaments, children’s education andperforming of social functions. Inpurchases, about one-third or morewomen respondents reported jointdecision by wife and husband. Inimmunization more women reportedmaking decisions on their own. In all



about 60% or more of the women respondents were eitherparticipating in decision making with their husbands or wereundertaking decision themselves. This shows the potential forwhat women can contribute to the success and sustainabilityof the water and sanitation projects under WAC and otherprogrammes, if these ensure space for women’s participationand ownership of these projects.

In terms of water and sanitation facilities in the slum houses,the household survey showed 67% to 95% of households inthese cities with no water facilities within the slumhouseholds. It is significant, of course, that the quality ofwater supplied was found to be clean by majority of therespondents and 52% to 76% slum households in the fourcities reported that they were getting sufficient water.Regarding availability of toilets in the house, only 10% inGwalior and 41% in Bhopal, besides 26% and 33% womenrespondents in Indore and Jabalpur reported to have toilets intheir houses. An important point for a strategy of GenderMainstreaming is that 72% respondents in Bhopal andJabalpur and 74% and 85% in Gwalior and Indore,respectively reported that the women in the householdcontrol the use of water in their households. Women can,therefore, make significant contribution to water conservationand water demand management and ensure that WDM issubsumed under pro poor and gender sensitive governanceof water and sanitation.

Emerging Issues for Strategy and Action

The Rapid Gender Assessment (RGA) undertaken with aparticipatory approach brought out a number of issues for aGender Mainstreaming Strategy and action. It was noted thatthere had been changes in the status and role of women inthe project area over the recent decades with narrowinggender gap in education and health, and in their skills andright to property and opportunities for participation indecision making at various levels. However, patriarchal valuesand norms persist and gender role stereotypes continue to beembedded in the perceptions of decision makers. Further,these are also internalized by the women. These reinforcepersisting inequalities for women including in water andsanitation sector.

Domestic violence continues to be accepted by women withinthe privacy of home. The tension generated by problemsrelating to water, the related disputes, and the delays havealso become cause of domestic violence. Various women’sorganizations across the country have worked to bring theissue in the public domain. The enactment of the Protection ofWomen from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and the Directoryof Support Services to counter violence against women ineach city and district of Madhya Pradesh prepared by MahilaChetna Manch, Bhopal with the assistance of UNIFEM, New

Delhi in 2005 can be of great help in work to support womenfacing domestic violence. Special Family Courts to deal withmatrimonial disputes and family counseling centres to help,counsel and advise both parties are available in all the fourcities. However, with 77% of the country’s population still inrural India, the disparities and deprivations in large pockets ofthe poor settlements in urban areas and the gender violenceand discriminations there continue to be hidden behindmacro estimates.

The one third reservation in the local bodies introduced bythe 74th Constitutional Amendment in 1992 was animportant step to place women in these institutions of selfgovernment, but patriarchal pressures have sought toundermine its effectiveness by continuously referring to theelected women openly or obliquely as ‘proxies’ of their malefamily members, particularly their spouses, though studiesand observations have shown cases of excellent leadership ofthese elected women and their concern for women’s needs.

The RGA documented the socio-economic profile of each citywith focus on the slums where the poor provision and accessto basic services and extent of deprivation are masked by city,state and country averages. It noted that a ‘gated’ approach increating closed enclaves of well served communities flankedby large communities of concentrated deprivation and neglecthave more adverse effect on women’s burden, women’shealth and their reduced ability to take up income generationactivities with appropriate skills and returns. Lack ofunderstanding of gender issues involved, leads toinappropriate conception and location of ‘Sulabh’ and otherpublic toilet complexes e.g., being located on the sides of amain road or at the end of a ‘Jhuggi’ (slum) settlement. Butthere are also examples of self help by women and, moreimportantly, of women’s voices urging action, and expressingwillingness to contribute their money and time to managewater and sanitation services within their localities if the localbodies ensure water supply to the area and createinfrastructure for water and sanitation.

There is increasing informalisation of employment among theslum residents, as also in other sections, and particularlyamong women. The mainstreaming strategy has to addressthis factor as it has implications of intermittent employment,low wages, insecurity, etc. Similarly, there is an urgent need togive security of tenure to slum dwellers, have ‘in situ’improvement of slums, and immediate improvement of watersupply and sanitation on an adequate level as a prioritycharge for every water and sanitation project.

It was noted that there was a lack of information, support andtraining to women. There are, however, clear possibilities ofdialogue and participation of women in the crucial forums ofurban utilities, with an external catalyst and facilitator whomthe women can trust. n

Rapid Gender Assessment


The Gender Mainstreaming Strategyfollows a number of international andnational commitments and decisions.At the international level, this strategywas incorporated in the BeizingPlatform of Action 1995 adopted atthe UN Conference on Women inBeizing in that year. It will beimplementing the Habitat Agenda(especially paragraph 46); The UNECOSOC resolution 1997/2 ongender mainstreaming; the UN-HABITAT resolutions, (i) GC 19/16on women’s roles and rights inhuman settlements development andslum upgrading of 9th May 2003, (ii)GC 20/5 on access to basic servicesfor all within the context ofsustainable human settlements, and(iii) GC 20/7 on gender equality inhuman settlements development. Italso supports the implementation ofthe Dublin Principle No. 3 whichhighlights the pivotal role of womenas providers and users and guardiansof the living environment and for thedevelopment and management ofwater resources. At the national andMP state level, it follows therequirements of the National Policyfor Empowerment of Women 2001,and the State Policy for Women,2002.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategystipulates incorporating gender

concerns and perspectives into allactivities planned in Water andSanitation for Asian CitiesProgrammes so that women’s andnot only men’s needs and prioritiesare adequately addressed. Thestrategy emphasizes the role ofwomen and men as activeparticipants, and agents of changeand also as beneficiaries of anyefforts to improve access to waterand sanitation, and to bring aboutdemocracy and good governanceespecially at the municipal level. Itenvisages support to relevantorganizations, departments, andother partners working in the areaof water and sanitation, throughadvocacy, training, institutionalcapacity strengthening in gendermainstreaming, resourcemobilization, and operationalactivities including appropriatenorms and procedures for equitableaccess and participation inmanagement and decision making.In its strategic activities this GenderMainstreaming Strategy takes intoaccount the emerging issues foraction from rapid genderassessment, in the thematicpriorities of the WAC programme.A draft of the strategy and of theaction plans was discussed in astakeholder’s workshop in March,2006 in which representatives of

Strategy in Water for Asian Cities Programme in India

State Government, ADB’s UWSEIProject Directorate, MunicipalCorporation-Mayors andCommissioners, Corporators, UN-HABITAT in New Delhi and Bhopaland their partners, WaterAID andNGOs participated. Thesuggestions and views given in thisworkshop have also been suitablyincorporated in this document.

Vision

Faster, equitable, just andsustainable achievement ofMillennium Development Goal 7,Targets 10 and 11 to halve thenumber of people, both men andwomen, who are without access toadequate water supply andsanitation by 2015 and improvingthe living condition of at least 100million slum dwellers by 2020. Thisto be fully achieved by 2009 in thefour cities for both women and menparticularly those from sociallyexcluded, marginalized sections andthrough pro poor governance, byremoving inequalities and inequitiesin women’s access to and controlover services and resources andensuring opportunities for women’sparticipation in decision making, O& M, monitoring and evaluation of,and partnership in water andsanitation services.




Basic ideology

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy has the basic ideology that:1. Men and women’s situations, interests and priorities are

different but not because of biological differences, but becausesociety’s conception of male and female roles andresponsibilities, positions them in a specific relationship to oneanother. In relation to water and sanitation programmes thelow value placed on women’s time is another underlying rootcause of different priorities of men and women. Women havetraditionally been assigned most of the domestic roles to thepoint that their public life is severely limited. Their narrowedpublic life is further restricted as men hold positions ofauthority.

2. Water should be managed not only as an economic but also as asocial good. When analysing water as a social good, the kind ofservices women as well as men prefer should be identified.Benefits should be assessed separately for both women andmen. Women can then make shorter trips carrying heavycontainers of water and thus may have more time for incomegenerating activities and for leisure; and girls may be able tospend more time in school.

3. A gender equity approach within the water sector must strive fora more balanced division between women and men in access toinformation, in the amount of physical work, in sharingcontributions in time and cash, and in the degree of decision-making. It also strives for women’s access to resources andbenefits, and control over these resources and benefits toaddress their special needs and special responsibilities.

4. Gender perspectives and concerns are not only women’sconcerns but are concerns of both men and women and stemfrom their different roles and responsibilities socially constructedin the private as well as public sphere and their relations. Thestrategy to include reflections of their concerns will seek tocontribute to an equitable balance in their roles and so to correctthe balance to reduce inequitable burdens at present borne bywomen. However, as the cumulative inequities are more forwomen, the initiative necessarily tilts in their favour.

5. Gender mainstreaming will be for reflecting these perspectivesand concerns in all aspects of the policies and programmes andprojects of WAC and not only where these are obvious as inidentification of target groups and beneficiaries of a specific setof activities. So these will be reflected in policy framing at alllevels, in programme and project design, in selection oftechnologies, implementation, monitoring and evaluations, andin indicators of their performance and impact.

6. The system will meet women’s needs by involving women as wellas men, and not only men, in management and decision making.Further, women use water and sanitation systems on a frequentbasis and are therefore in a good position to provide accurate,up to date reporting on their functioning. This involvement will,therefore, contribute to efficient use of valuable water resourcesand with maximum impact on their well being.



Assumptions

Gender Mainstreaming and itsideology as presented here havecertain assumptions on governance andparticipation and, the costs and benefitsand implications of equity, efficiencyand sustainability of different systems ofgovernance. These have to beunderstood to see the need of a gendermainstreaming strategy instead oflimiting the focus on a few benefits orservices for women. These assumptionsare:1. It is costly to maintain and sustain

an unequal, iniquitous system orstructure of social relations orgovernance. These costs are seenin the high cost of gatedcommunities, crime, strife andtension. These are also seen in theexamples of individuals breakingthe water pipes of mains with waterflowing and being wasted withoutthe community members taking anyaction to stop this wastage, unusedpublic conveniences, and in thelocal people’s disinterest,dissatisfaction and disputes. Thesecosts are in addition to the societymissing the contribution of womenwho constitute half the world.

2. Gender Mainstreaming in waterand sanitation is not only an issueof equity but also of efficiency andsustainability of water andsanitation services.

3. Gender perspectives have to beintegrated into all policies,programmes and projects, intocapacity building activities, intomethodology of the developmentinitiatives, into routine monitoringas well as in reporting mechanismsand procedures.

4. Dialogue and consultation withwomen and men particularly at thelocal level is an effective measureto get maximum impact, efficiencyand people’s satisfaction fromservices like those of water andsanitation. It also helps in makingthe services cost effective andsustainable.

5. When seeking communityparticipation, it has to beparticipation of women and menand not only of a community ingeneral which, with the currentinequities in access and control ofresources, has inherent exclusionsof those at the periphery ofdevelopment and women continueto be the majority among those atthese margins.

6. Participation has to be not only inthe presence of women in theinstitutions or structures ofgovernance as is sometimespracticed by inclusion of tokenwomen and token of othermarginalized and socially excludedsections in their membership.Participation must include awillingness to participate as well asthe ability and opportunity toparticipate. This would, therefore,include an enabling environment inwhich barriers to women’sparticipation are identified andfollowed by removal of thosebarriers whether legal, social orpolitical. There is also need tosupport the participation of womenof all sections particularly from thesocially excluded and marginalizedsections by affirmative measuresfor capacity building forparticipation at all levels – at thelocal implementation level tomanagerial and technical levels.

7. Gender mainstreaming means notonly increasing women’sparticipation but having attention tothe perceptions, knowledge,contributions, priorities and needsof both men and women. Hence wehave to know what women andmen do, their contributions, theiraccess to and control overresources, participation in decisionmaking, their potentials andconstraints, needs, priorities.

8. As one of the goals of WACprogramme is to promote pro poorgovernance, this would also implymobilization of groups of womenparticularly of those with limited or

no access to resources andarrangement for space for theirvoice in decision making and inimplementing bodies.

Challenges

Gender Mainstreaming in water andsanitation has to address a number ofchallenges arising from existingsystems, their cultures and embeddedideologies about women and men’sroles, capabilities and possibilities.Some of the challenges in GenderMainstreaming in water and sanitationare:1. Negative perceptions about

women, and their role andcapabilities.

2. Continued invisibility of genderconcerns to decision makers andimplementation officialsparticularly in any matters, whichinclude technical choices,infrastructure, management,project design and administration.

3. Assumption that technical areasare “Gender Neutral”.

4. Insufficient gender awareness andsensitiveness at all levels.

5. Generally viewing the need tolook at gender only in selectionof beneficiaries, and targetgroups as women and men areonly seen as beneficiaries andnot as active agents andcontributors to efficiency andsustainability of developmentinitiatives. Even in beneficiaryand target group selection,there is inability to see the intrahousehold inequalities.

6. Continuing political, social,cultural constraints to the fullparticipation of all sections andgender. Unequal social relationsat the household level whichalso affect decisions oninvestments in infrastructure.

7. Low level of literacy andawareness limiting women’sparticipation.

8. The inability of the genderspecialists to respond



adequately to ensure that sector specific informationis required to support sector specialists, and their lack ofawareness, and capacity on technical issues, on the onehand, and the inability of sector specialists to understandthe gender issues, to adequately involve themselves inincorporating gender concerns and priorities and usetheir specific knowledge for it.

Objectives

The broad objectives of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategyare promoting gender equity, efficiency and sustainability ofwater supply and sanitation facilities according to need,convenience and suitability as identified in the RGA and infurtherance of the MDG 7 and targets 10 and 11.

More specific objectives are (a) a time bound reduction ofthe number of people both women and men, girls and boyswithout access to adequate water and sanitation and (b)improving the life of slum population in the project cities byMarch 2009, to cover 100% of the population both womenand men with appropriate, adequate and sustainable waterand sanitation services in these cities by this year and (c) toensure that 100% schools have full time water supply,separate and appropriate toilets for boys and girls. (d)Open defecation free cities by 2009 (e) all publicinstitutions, offices, centres, shopping complexes etc havewater supply and toilet facilities which are sustained andfunctioning. (f) local women and their groups are incommand of the management and functioning of waterdistribution and community sanitation facilities at the locallevels particularly the slums.

Strategy

Gender Mainstreaming in WAC programme is basically anissue of good governance in planning and management ofwater and sanitation which is pro poor and ensuresinclusion of perspectives and needs of all, especiallywomen who have, so far, not been adequately representedin the institutions of governance, in water and sanitationsector and in the planning, implementation, monitoring andevaluation systems.

Governance is the process that encompasses state - societyinteractions and partnership. It is the manner in whichpower is exercised in the management of a country’seconomic and social resources for development (WorldBank, 1992). Governance is, in fact, now understood as amuch broader and inclusive process as the exercise ofeconomic, political and administrative authority to managecountry’s affairs at all levels. It comprises the mechanisms,processes and institutions, through which citizens andgroups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights,meet their obligations and mediate their differences (UNDP,1997). Governance in this broader sense recognizes theplurality of actors involved. The 10th Five Year Plan of Indiaalso includes the definition of governance that it “relates tothe management of all such processes that, in any society,define the environment which permits and enablesindividuals to raise their capability levels, provideopportunities to realize their potential and enlarge the setof available choices. These processes, covering thepolitical, social and economic aspects of life impact everylevel of human enterprise ——— it covers the state, civilsociety and the market, each of which is critical forsustaining human development” (GOI; 2002).

Governance here has to be good governance which has thecharacteristics of participation, accountability, transparency,responsiveness, and which is equitable and inclusive, withorientation of consensus in working and is effective andefficient. Pro poor governance in urban water andsanitation implies that the needs and concerns of the poorare addressed in all planning, execution, operation, andmaintenance of these services. Gender mainstreamingstrategy addresses the needs and concerns of women andnot only men among the poor as it does not assume thatwomen’s needs and concerns get automatically addressedwithout such inclusion.

A Gender Mainstreaming approach looks at women and men– both as actors in the development process, and as itsbeneficiaries. Gender Mainstreaming as an institutional andcultural transformational process includes eliminating genderbiases in the development frameworks and paradigms,incorporating gender awareness and perspective into



policies, programmes and institutionalreforms, involving men to end genderinequality, and developing gendersensitive tools to monitor progress andensure accountability.

A gender analysis of the project area isa necessary first step of a strategy tomainstream gender in water andsanitation services. The rapid genderassessment undertaken in the fourproject cities of WAC has identified thesocio-economic and cultural context ofthe area, the different priorities,demands and needs of men andwomen, their knowledge, attitudesand practices relating to water andsanitation services and theconstraints to their participation inthe related activities. The focus of theWAC project interventions has tomove from only technical solutions toinclude long term issues of changemanagement, building decisionmaking and leadership skills ofwomen and men in the localcommunity and improvingconsultation processes.

There have been profound changes inthe status and role of women in Indianarrowing gender gaps in educationand health, women entering the labourforce in larger numbers, increasingtheir presence and potentialparticipation in decision making atvarious levels, starting with the locallevels. But basic inequalities in accessto education and various resources,continue. Women still have an unequalshare of the burdens of poverty. Theycontinue to be underrepresented informal decision making structures.Gender disparities persist in publicpositions in water and sanitationservices at all levels. These gaps are tobe addressed in the strategy.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy inWAC programme is at the policy level,in the implementation, monitoring andevaluation as well as in the communitylevel participation. Expected outcomesof this exercise range from efficiency,

cost effectiveness, demandresponsiveness to improved design andimplementation driven by an inclusive,participatory approach. The strategyalso takes into account the genderimpact of all project components –engineering, institutional strengthening,financial, community development andhealth components.

The strategy and its action plan are onfive axis – (i) inclusion of gender expertin programme management andimplementation at the state andmunicipal corporation level (in PMUand PIUs) and staff with genderexpertise in project design, selection,implementation and monitoring (ii)introduction of gender issues inprogramme framework, reviews,workshops, and all other activities forpolicy proposals, programmedevelopment, monitoring andevaluation, framing and inclusion ofgender related guidelines andprinciples in programmes, undertakinggender analysis in designing projects.(iii) ensuring crucial infrastructure,processes and practices of serviceproviders for water and sanitation toaddress identified gaps in meetingneeds of women and girls (iv) enablingwomen and men from all sections,especially those from the sociallyexcluded, deprived sections, toparticipate in decision making forathrough legal, policy measures, and atall levels and stages of water andsanitation sector projects and servicesat community level through organizinglocal women’s groups, capacitybuilding, and entrusting responsibilities(v) advocacy, awareness, sensitizationon gender issues in water andsanitation sector for all levels of policymaking and implementation andsupporting education and curriculumdevelopment.

Gender is a cross cutting issue in allactivities and processes. Hence, theGMS, which moves from the limitedconcept of women’s projects to placinggender perspectives and concerns in

policies and programmes at all stagesrequires this incorporation, and itscoordination and review at all stages.Therefore, there is need of aninstitutional mechanism which has themandate and responsibilities to take upthis task at the state level and also atthe project city levels. This mechanismwould consist of gender experts as partof the state level gender nodal unit inthe Project Management Unit andgender focal points in the ProjectImplementation Units at the cityoffices. The task would include placingthe gender issues in the framework ofall policies and programmes in waterand sanitation sector in formulation,review, monitoring and evaluation,thus undertaking their scrutinythrough a gender lens. Theoperationalising of this gender lenswill be through guidelines andprinciples which are to be followedin analysis and in designs ofpolicies, projects and programmes.

The strategy is to ensure that bothwomen and men have the possibilityto influence, participate in and benefitfrom improvements to be effected inwater supply and sanitation throughnew project interventions under WAC.Possibility to influence improvement inwater and sanitation services wouldbe by placing women in decisionmaking positions and by moreinvolvement of women at thecommunity level. Long termsustainability of these services wouldbe through their active and equitableinvolvement e.g. by women carryingout most of the construction and bytraining women in management,operation and maintenance. Thesustainability of water programmesrequires that these activities involvewomen and not only men in planning,construction, operation andmaintenance. This would necessitateenabling policy environment andproviding women and their groupswith training and opportunities forinvolvement in more technicalactivities and in operations and



management at the community level rather than simply inhealth and hygiene within the household. Further, the waterand sanitaiton projects will have to be responsive to thearticulated demands of users and address the differentpriorities of women and men.

Community Participation and Gendered Norms ofParticipationAn important area for success in water and sanitationsector is participation of the local community at variousstages of formulation, implementation, monitoring andevaluation of the programme and projects in this sector.Here it will be important to introduce gender norms inparticipation to ensure participation of women as well asmen. Communities are not collection of equal peopleliving in a particular region. They have individuals andgroups who command different levels of power, wealth,influence and ability to express their needs, concerns andrights. Where resources are scarce, there is competitionfor supplies and those at the lowest end of the powerspectrum get left out and this applies to the resources ofwater and sanitation sector. Further, power issuesinvariably place women and particularly women in poorer,socially excluded, and marginalized sections, in adisadvantaged position.

Participatory processes do not automatically include womenfor a number of reasons. These include –(i) Power imbalance in communities(ii) Intra household and intra family relations(iii) Different constraints and different abilities of men and

women to participate(iv) Perceived costs and benefits of participation – skills,

time, flexibility and adaptability, support and follow up.

These factors are also culture and context specific indifferent societies and population groups. In most of thesocieties women find it difficult to speak out in front of theirfathers, husbands and in laws. They are also conditioned tobelieve that discussions relating to family matters or evenabout their workloads should not be in public fora. Hencepeople centred approaches, even when adopted, do notautomatically or always ensure that gender perspectives canbe taken into account.

The participation strategy in Gender Mainstreamingtherefore, moves from community participation toparticipation of women as well as of men. It also requires thatthe factors which have prevented women’s participation areaddressed. Women will be enabled to participate not only bythe introduction of gendered norms of project/programmeguidelines for community participation but also by organising

women, capacity building and training of groups and theirmembers and handing over responsibilities to these groups atthe local level. There will be focus on participation andcapacity building of women from the marginalized, sociallyexcluded sections who are the main sufferers of deficienciesin water and sanitation services.

Implementation and Monitoring Gender sensitiveindicators will be established for reporting and monitoring theimpact of projects and interventions for improvements inwater supply and sanitation services. These will includequantitative targets as well as their qualitative interpretation.There will be collection of gender disaggregated data on(i) positions held by men and women within community

management committees(ii) involvement of men and women in hygiene promotion

activities(iii) inclusion of women in non-traditional managerial and

technical positions in water and sanitation sectoragencies

(iv) attendance of men and women at training sessions,planning meetings, construction activities

(v) uptake of facilities by different categories of users(vi) suitability of timing, location of water and sanitation

facilities, addressing needs of separate facilities forwomen and girls.

The interim and final evaluations will see thequantitative data and its qualitative interpretation andinclude a comparison of the situation at the commencement(baseline) with the situation at different stages of theprojects and at the time of completion of projects. This willbe seen, for instance, in changes in men’s and women’sinvolvement in decision making, in their water andsanitation sector practices, in the constraints faced bywomen in management and control of the facilities createdat the community and household level. The progress andcompletion reports will have to specifically refer to genderissues and will not be dominated by only technical, financialand institutional outcomes. The evaluation will then presentthe impact and the lessons learnt.

Advocacy, sensitization and awareness of genderissues: An overarching part of the strategy is advocacy,sensitization and promoting awareness of gender issuesamong policy makers and implementers so that nodal/focalgender units are created in the institutions. Further theseare also given strong mandate and receive full support intheir activities and interventions. This sensitization andawareness is essential in the light of continuing invisibilityof gender concerns and its implications among a number ofpolicy makers and programme implementors.



Action Plan



The Action Plan in the main thematic areas of Pro Poor Urban Water andSanitation Governance, Water Demand Management, Integrated UrbanEnvironmental Sanitation follows from the ideology, approach anddirections of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy.

General

A leadership role of the state government andthe project directorate

At the state level, Urban Administration and DevelopmentDepartment of the state government as well as the projectdirectorate of UWSEI Project and WAC Programme willplay a leadership role of overall direction for gendermainstreaming. For this purpose they will –

1. Undertake a comprehensive assessment of theimplications of policies, programmes and actions at alllevels relevant for water and sanitation services inurban areas to ensure that the management andprovision of these services(i) are at least gender neutral and do not reinforce

existing inequalities(ii) are sensitive to redress existing gender

inequalities and incorporate gender concerns or(iii) are gender positive i.e., redefine women’s and

men’s gender roles and relations and introducechanges to make them gender positive.

The Municipal Corporation Act and Rules, relating tocomposition of ward committees and other water andsanitation committees, women’s representation inmembership as chairpersons, the law relating to slums,their improvement, consultation, mohalla committeeelections and women’s representation will be reviewedfor their gender perspective. The modalities of settingup a group including persons with expertise on genderissues can be adopted for it. The group should give itsrecommendations within a time limit to enable taking afinal view on the subject in the year 2006-07. Here thegoal will be to then work to integrate genderperspectives in water and sanitation policies, andprogrammes as well as in the activities of capacity

building, methodology of initiatives, monitoring andreporting mechanisms and procedures.

2. Ensure that action is taken to assess gender impact ofall project components - engineering, institutionalstrengthening, financial, community development,education and health components. This may be done byincluding in the check list of their scrutiny, a genderimpact check on the parameters of benefits of womenfrom the outputs, participation of women, displacement,potential to join, take local operations, women involvedin consultation, and measures for training anddissemination of relevant information. The genderexpert in the PMU in Project Directorate can help byjoining the engineering, technical people in this exercise.

3. Incorporate policy directions under the WAC and in allwater and sanitation projects to work to enhancewomen’s agency by(i) promoting local women’s organizations to

facilitate women’s effective participation incommunity fora and take measures to preventdomestic and public violence on women

(ii) giving to women, property/ tenurial rights andcontrol over productive assets created under theprojects, and

(iii) to increase women’s ability and efficiency inparticipation, operation and maintenance of waterand sanitation services

4. Ensure consultation, active participation and leadershiprole of local women and their groups in decisionmaking in water and sanitation services at local levelsparticularly in the slums and in areas with persistingservice deficiencies and provide resources to effectivelyimprove these services.

Action PlanIn the Thematic Areas of WAC


5. Build women inclusive localinstitutions and women’scommittees with adequate numberof women at effective levels e.g.chairpersons, secretaries andtreasurers.

6. Ensure constitution of wardcommittees and mohallacommittees and provide for theirdemocratic elections. Enhancewomen’s participation in thesecommittees by making womenchairpersons in water andsanitation committees of themunicipal corporations andensuring at least one-thirdpositions of chairpersons in theward committees and mohallacommittees.

7. Promote collection of gender-disaggregated data related to waterand sanitation services in allinstitutions concerned with waterand sanitation sector namely themunicipal corporations and PHEDto facilitate gender sensitivemonitoring and evaluation of waterand sanitation services and toensure accountability of suchinstitutions in providing equitableaccess to water and sanitationservices.

8. Undertake gender responsivebudgeting or analysis of budgets inthe project office and in the fourmunicipal corporations at the timeof formulation of further initiativesfor water and sanitation underWAC programme so that policieson gender equity included in theGender Mainstreaming Strategyare matched with adequateresource allocations. Guidelineswill be issued by UADD and theproject directorate to enablemunicipal corporations toundertake this exercise before theirfuture budget preparations. An

explanatory memorandum ongender budgeting added with theirbudgets is a useful mechanism toachieve this objective and will beadopted.

B. Pro Poor Water andSanitation Governance

The institutions of governance must begender sensitive and responsive interms of their composition inrepresentation, in their managementand in their operational personnel.Building a gender sensitive, equitableand responsive institution will requirespace and opportunity for (i) informedinvolvement of women as well as menparticularly from the marginalized,socially excluded sections. (ii)deconstructing gender inequalities instructures and systems and also (iii)including an institutional mechanism toensure identified actions. Theinstitutions directly concerned in waterand sanitation are the state levelproject directorate, (for the ADB andUN-HABITAT projects) the municipalcorporations, the PHED and civilsociety groups in project cities.

There should be clear scope forparticipation of women and men in allproject activities for water andsanitation improvements andmanagement also ensuring that thisparticipation is informed and organizedand the rules and procedures areexplicit for this objective. These rulesand procedures should be based on theunderstanding of development and thedevelopment process itself,encompassing expansion of the realfreedom that citizens enjoy to pursuethe objectives they have reason tovalue, and in this sense the expansionof human capacities seen as its centralfeature (Dreze and Sen, 2002). Thecitizens have also to be seen by gender.This is not to divide them but to ensureattention to gender which normally

remains invisible or consideredunnecessary for attention. Further, it willtake note of the fact that the category ofwomen as also men is not ahomogenous category and has classand social group dimensions. Theserequire attention to ensure nondiscrimination and equitable services toall. The actions will therefore includethe following: -

1. Ensure that in terms of the featuresof good governance, institutions ofgovernment primarily the projectdirectorate, the municipalcorporations and their committeesmust have equal participation ofwomen and men, and havetransparency and gender equity inthe allocation of resources in theprojects even when these appearprimarily technical.

2. An institutional mechanism of acentral nodal gender unit andlocal gender focal points will beset up. The project directorate forurban water supply and sanitationprojects e.g. UWSEIP at the statelevel will have a nodal gender unitto ensure gender mainstreaming inall stages of the WAC programmein the four cities andoperationalising the gendermainstreaming strategy. It will workdirectly with the project director ofUWSEIP and WAC projects andhave a role and mandate toparticipate and interact in all relatedactivities from formulation,conception of studies andinterventions to implementation,monitoring and evaluations toensure incorporation of genderperspective as outlined in the GMS.The unit will be assisted by anadvisory committee in which,among others, project partners inWAC in capacity building andgender mainstreaming will berepresented.



The nodal gender unit will also(a) oversee compliance of all general guidelines about

safety and protection of women in workplaces (e.g. Supreme Court guidelines regardingdealing with sexual harassment at workplace) and guide in redressal in matters of violenceincluding domestic violence connected with waterand sanitation matters

(b) initiate development of gender checklist andgenderised norms and procedures in water andsanitation services, if necessary in collaborationwith an organization which has expertise and skillson these issues.

(c) circulate gender checklist and genderised normsand procedures, analyse reports and returns forgender mainstreaming and review and suggestfurther action to the project director. The unit willassist in gender impact assessment of projectsbefore these are approved. It can take assistanceof external gender experts and organizations forthis purpose.

3. Each partner municipal corporation will have a genderfocal point who will be responsible to help themunicipal commissioner and the corporation inimplementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategyand its action programme and for regular reporting onthis subject to the project director at the state level.The expenses for the functioning of gender unit and thegender focal points will form a part of the project costsof ongoing water supply and sanitation improvementprojects in the four cities.

4. The municipal corporations will be made inclusive andsensitive (i) in their approach, (ii) in their procedures,rules and regulations of participation of women andmen and (iii) in their norms, rules and procedures ofproviding services and resources of water supply andsanitation and about their information andmanagement. The gender nodal unit in the projectdirectorate will initiate a review of all these aspectsthrough constitution of an expert group to completethis exercise in 2006-07.

5. An exercise will be undertaken by the UADD andproject directorate for identification and listing of rolesand responsibilities of women and men in all aspectsof water supply and sanitation and consequently theirrespective stakes in the provision, operation, efficiencyand sustainability of the services. This will becirculated to all water and sanitation personnel toenable attention to meeting these needs and prioritiesappropriately. Here an important aspect will bereducing women’s drudgery resulting from inefficient

and inappropriate ways of providing water supply andsanitation services.

6. The 74th Constitutional Amendment has alreadyprovided a one-third reservation for women amongthe elected corporators. The next step will be to ensureadequate representation of women in all thecommittees of the municipal corporations. In the caseof slum management, the mohalla committeesprovided in the concerned law will be constituted.These will be revived and made gender representativeand gender responsive in composition and functioning.The Urban Administration and DevelopmentDepartment (UADD) will take up this exercise.

7. As gender sensitive and responsive institutions themunicipal corporations will ensure (i) Lead role ofwomen within all local decision making committees onwater management, supply and distribution and in themanagement of the assets and infrastructure created bythe projects at the city level under the UWSEIP andWAC programme except large/major installationswhere also effort will be made to include women in anadvisory role. Women corporators will be included inthese committees and given necessary information anddetails to enable them to make their contribution.(ii)The monitoring and reporting arrangements will see(a) the percentage share of resources and benefits heldby women, (b) percentage share of positions held bywomen in the management and (c) the actions andsteps taken to address needs of appropriateness,special separate facilities for women and gendersensitivity in locations, selection and construction offacilities. The UADD and project directorate will issueappropriate instructions for incorporation of theseissues and will monitor their compliance.

8. Action will be taken to remove institutional, cultural,economic and practical barriers created by patriarchalpatterns of decision making by (a) reservation for andnomination of women in all committees of water andsanitation (b) transparent criteria of decision makingprocess from planning, procurement, construction,operation and maintenance of water and sanitationsector services, (c) suitable, convenient timings andplaces of meetings, remuneration for meetings,training and exposure visits for women to engage inpublic consultation processes. This will ensure notmere presence of women in these institutions but theireffective participation. This will be operationalised bypreparing guidelines on these issues after aconsultation meeting including some womencorporators in this consultation and issuing theseguidelines in 2006-07.

Action Plan


9. In the selection of projects andconsultants in the designing stageof the projects and studiescontemplated in the WACprogramme in the four cities,actions will include (i) inclusion ofgender expert on project team (ii)facilitating participation of bothmen and women by structuringproject rules and procedures,determining gender roles in thewater and sanitation sector in theproject area, determining genderbarriers and taking appropriateimplementation steps for reducingor removing these barriers (iii)flexibility to enable adaptationwith lessons learnt on genderissues. Guidelines may be issuedby UADD and project directorateto enable consultants and othersto take appropriate steps.

10. Take action in implementation andsupervision for

(a) awareness raising ofmunicipal corporations andwater and sanitation utilitymanagementabout gender issues withtraining, workshops and studytours.

(b) inclusion of gender experts onimplementation staff units byamending projectimplementation rules andprocedures, where necessary,to facilitate participation ofboth men and women.

11. The other actor in governance isthe civil society and itsorganizations. They need to take aproactive move to identify andpromote women’s self help groupsand committees at the city andward levels. These committeesand groups will be

(i) consulted in the selection ofwater and sanitation modelsand their location andconstruction.

(ii) given support with trainingand revolving fund and

(iii) given responsibility forgovernance by handing overwater distribution andmanagement ofsanitation blocks at the localcommunity level, identifiedlocality or slum levels. It hasto be understood that nothingis too technical for thesewomen and their groups tounderstand and therefore tomanage for efficiency, use and

sustainability even if theirmembers are not highlyeducated.

12. Involve local women’s groups inmonitoring and evaluation of theuse and impact of the water andsanitation services.

(i) They will be trained to collectand understand gender-disaggregated data onrepresentation, services,access, use, problems andsolutions.

(ii) They will collect data andorganize participatoryexercises. Current monitoringand evaluation is more focusedon input/output monitoringand not on these crucialaspects.....

13. Adopt gender budgeting to reflectresource allocation for women’sneeds and priorities and in waterand sanitation projects, impact andbenefits of allocations for them towomen. Add a gender budgetexplanatory memorandum tomunicipal corporation budget forthis purpose.

14. Introduce a committee in municipalcorporation to monitor grievancesand complaints of women.



C. Integrated Urban Environmental Sanitation

RGA showed that women were the majority (76%) of thecontrollers of water use in the slum households of the fourcities. When women participate in the decision makingprocesses of water and sanitation services they will bestakeholders and partners in their efficiency, maintenanceand sustainability. Women have a higher stake in theirsuccess and sustainability. They are the collectors of water.They are the major users of water for cooking, cleaning,washing etc.

The water supply and sanitation services and the variousalternatives of providing and running these services needto be viewed through a gender lens. The men’s andwomen’s role and needs in this sector and what can bedone to reduce the iniquitous burden on women so thatthey can have time to contribute economically to the familyand the society and the girls can go to school, will bedocumented. Women are the educators in family hygiene.This role is to be used and supported.

The gender assessment report pointed clearly to the urgentneed to improve sanitation facilities in the slums at thecommunity and household levels. Women, far more thanmen, face difficult issues of privacy and safety in findingspaces to relieve themselves. Without safe andappropriate sanitation facilities they face serious healthissues. The following actions will be taken to addressthese problems.

1. Ensure open defecation free cities by 2009.

2. Ensure that water and sanitation services areaccessible and affordable to all in the community,particularly the urban poor women and men.

3. Ensure functioning and sustained water supply andtoilet facilities in all public institutions, offices, centres,shopping complexes, etc.

4. Explore potential areas of entrepreneurship, micro-credit and income generation opportunities in waterand sanitation services especially for the most poor,both women and men, and help them to access them.

5. Promote appropriate pro poor, affordable water andsanitation technologies.

6. Provide hygiene education and raise awareness inlocal, municipal and other officials to help in achievingbetter environmental sanitation.

7. Build partnership between municipal corporations andcivil society groups e.g. local women’s organisations

for better delivery and management of sanitationutilities. Involve local women’s groups in the decisionfor design and location of the sanitary complexes sothat they are not inappropriately located on the roadside or away from the hutments and they take intoaccount the privacy and safety concerns of women.

8. Hand over management of local sanitary complexes tothe local women’s groups. The existing ‘Sulabh’ andother ‘disused’ public toilets located in slums will beentrusted to local women’s groups after repairingthem, to manage them with appropriate user charges.

9. Promote local self help groups to provide material forconstruction of water and sanitation infrastructure. Alsoprovide training to women’s groups for masonry workand entrust them with responsibility for toiletconstruction in slum households, according to localchoice and maintenance and repair work on time. Thiswill also help in cost effectiveness of these services.

10. Construct separate and adequate latrines/blocks formen, women and children in all public toilets providingprivacy for women and girls, ample water supply andelectrification especially in the slum localities.

11. Construct separate and appropriate toilets for boys andgirls in all schools as girls often dropout of schools dueto lack of convenience and privacy in school toilets.Provide them in all schools in a time bound programmeby 2009.

12. Adopt women and child friendly design and location ofsanitary complexes keeping in view the special needsof menstrual waste disposal for hygiene purposes.

13. Promote building of toilets in all slum households and,where appropriate, joint toilet complex for a set ofhouseholds and taking sewerage connections by linkingpoor and women to cheap micro finance services.

14. Entrust responsibility of waste segregation and it’srecycling to the groups of urban poor on payment, withnecessary implements and protective gear. This will alsoresult in cleaner cities by preventing burning ofpolythene or clogging of drainage by plastic material.

D. Water Demand Management (WDM)

Water demand management moves beyond mereaugmentation of supplies. It seeks to prevent waste ofvaluable resource and to have more efficient, equitabledistribution and use of water. Hence, prevention ofleakages and introduction of bulk metering and consumer

Action Plan



metering are part of such a proposed management. Nonconsultation with and non participation of women and menin the community in the WDM and its implementationresults in reluctance to take up this exercise. Here actionwill be taken for sustained consultation process withinvolvement of local groups and NGOs to be reallyeffective. They will have representation on committeeswhich can be formed for this management.

Women and men in the community will then become alliesand partners in it and it will also ensure benefit of any costeffectiveness and prevention of wastage to them. So actionwill be taken in WDM projects for.

a. Consulting women’s groups for equitable delivery ofwater and sanitation services.

b. Handling operation, maintenance and regulation ofwater and sanitation services by women’s groups.

c. Involving women in water audit and budgeting and alsorecycling of waste water.

E. Value based Water, Sanitation and HygieneEducation

A number of illustrations and messages found in textbooksreinforce the traditional roles of boys and girls and menand women, perpetuating the gender roles that have keptwomen in poverty and relegated them to the background. Adeliberate effort will be made to change this by focusingattention in the areas of text book writing and the role ofteachers in gender equity as teachers invariably carry theirgender perceptions to school and impart them to thechildren. Following action will be taken in the projects inthis thematic priority area:

1. The Value Based Water Education (VBWE) programmewill integrate Gender Mainstreaming and pro poorissues into the planning and implementation of all waterand sanitation activities. The partners involved in VBWEinitiatives and GMS initiatives will be involved in joint

committees which may be formed for this purpose in theWAC programme and projects.

2. A project steering committee will be set up composedof key institutions and stakeholders in each city andespecially including representation of local women’sgroups to oversee and monitor the translation andimplementation and synergy of VBWE activities andgender issues. The partners involved in VBWE andGMS will be associated in this committee.

3. Teaching tools and the curriculum will be continuouslyreviewed in collaboration with the state educationauthorities to make the teachers gender-sensitive.Teachers will be trained in gender sensitive watereducation curriculum. WAC project office willcollaborate with state education department for thisaction with development of a module for inclusion intheir training programmes for teachers. Where relevant,educational materials will provide information on theproper use of standpipes, water taps, water sources andwater pollution and conservation.

4. All schools will include practices to train children inwaste segregation through disposing of waste paperand other materials in different coloured bins.

F. Training and Capacity Building

Training and capacity building will be directed at all levels ofproject preparation, implementation, monitoring andevaluation. These will include training for sensitization,awareness, capacity building and leadership development.Institutions responsible for water demand management andvalue based water, sanitation and hygiene educationprogrammes will be sensitized to the need for a genderapproach, and trained in ways in which gender issues canbe mainstreamed in project documents, educationcurriculum and training materials.

At the institutional level, municipal authorities will be

Action Plan


sensitized to the gender approach,and trained in concretemethodologies of mainstreaminggender in the provision andmanagement of water and sanitationservices. The staff concerned withWAC, water and sanitation projectswill be sensitized and trained ingender mainstreaming methodologiesand working with the institutionalmechanisms established to coordinategender mainstreaming work intooverall WAC programmes.Within communities, training will be

that this approach can have on theirlives.

The Action Programme will include:

1. Gender MainstreamingWorkshops

Gender Mainstreamingworkshops will be conducted ineach city where Water for AsianCities Programme is beingimplemented, with the objectiveof assisting in understanding and

will be exposed to gendertraining, so that they can carry outthe wider range of tasks requiredof them in the operationalisingand support of the GenderMainstreaming Strategy in allprojects, studies etc. in the WACprogramme.

3. Training of Staff of State ProjectOffice and Local Authorities

1. Awareness-raising workshopswill be organized for the

organized to enhance women’scapacities for community developmentmodels, including administrative andfinancial management, leadership andfacilitation skills, as well as technicalknowledge of water systems andsanitation technologies. Programmeof water classrooms will beorganized in collaboration with thelocal education authorities tosensitize all children to genderequality and equity issues, the criticalrole of gender in water resourcemanagement and the positive impact

implementation of the GenderMainstreaming Strategy and theAction Plan which is intended toensure that concrete activities forgender mainstreaming areintegrated in the overall WACprogramme in each city.

2. Capacity Building of ProgrammeStaff

The staff of UN-HABITAT’s Waterfor Asian Cities Programme at thestate level including consultants

concerned personnel of thestate project office, themunicipal corporations andPHED on gender sensitivelegislation, policies,guidelines, genderisedprocedures and norms relatedto water and sanitation andalso on the importance of theparticipation of both womenand men in local decisionmaking includingspecially the technicalselections.



2. Training of staff of state project office and localauthorities will be organized. It will includemodule on

(i) Gender Mainstreaming methodologies –research, participatory rapid assessments,gender analysis and planning including thecapacity to disaggregate data by gender. (ii) propoor, gender sensitive governance mechanismsincluding community participation, communitybased management models for water andsanitation services, participatory developmentapproaches, and alternate community basedfinancing systems.

(iii) capacity development in pro poor, gendersensitive monitoring and evaluation, includingthe development of gender sensitive indicators.

4. Capacity building of Water and Sanitation utilities

Training workshops will be organized for the staff ofwater and sanitation utilities so that they are sensitizedto gender sensitive and pro poor concepts andapproaches, and the conditions/needs of the urbanpoor, women and men, particularly the most vulnerablesuch as aged persons and women headed householdsin under-serviced communities and settlements.

5. Capacity building of local women’s organizations willinclude following action programme:

1. Poor women and other slum dwellers or thoseliving in informal settlements will be given trainingin the legal system related to water and sanitationto claim their rights in water and sanitation services.

2. They will be given training to raise their skills andknowledge in leadership to participate efficiently indecision making process in water and sanitationservices in their communities.

3. Trainings of local women particularly in theslum households will address the needs ofthe roles of men and women in water and sanitation

sector which are identified and provided in theproject. Women will be trained in leadership inbasic operations and maintenance techniques. Atpresent technology choice, cost recovery andoperations and maintenance arrangements are byand large decided without reference andparticipation of women and men in the community.Their preferences are not sought about technologydesign and siting of facilities. Action plan willensure their inclusion and participation.

4. Poor women and men entrepreneurs will be trainedin access and use of micro-credit in water andsanitation services improvement.

5. In order to take advantage of larger opportunities,poor men and women will be helped to learn non-traditional skills and new technologies of water andsanitation services.

6. Teacher Training and Raising Awareness

1. Teachers will be trained in the development anddelivery of gender sensitive water educationcurriculum.

2. Capacity building workshops will be organized inthe development of educational materials providinginformation on the proper use of standpipes, watertaps, water sources, and water pollution andconservation.

3. Periodic meetings and exchange of experience oflocal education authorities will be organized in theparticipating cities.

G. Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledgesharing

Monitoring:

1. Internal monitoring and evaluation of progress madeand obstacles encountered in integrating genderperspectives in all activities will be undertaken regularly

Action Plan


and the results will be integratedin all routine and special progressreports under the WACprogramme and UWSEI project.

2. Project directorate will initiateaction to adopt gender sensitiveindicators for monitoring impactof project interventions. Thisincludes collection of gender-disaggregated data on-• Positions held by men and

women within managementcommittees.

• Presence of women in non-traditional, managerial &technical positions in waterand sanitation services.

• Attendance of men andwomen at trainingprogrammes, planningmeetings and in constructionactivities.

• Uptake of facilities created bythe project by differentcategories of users, men andwomen.

Evaluation:

1. Interim and final evaluationreporting of the UWSEIP andWAC projects will include theitems suggested for monitoring aswell as qualitative interpretation ofquantitative data and comparisonwith baseline situation at differentstages of project and also includeevaluation of-• Changes in women’s

involvement in decisionmaking.

• Changes in men’s andwomen’s water and sanitationservices practices.

• Changes in constraints facedby men and women.

• Changes in women’smanagement and control offacilities at household andcommunity level.

• Progress on reflecting gender

issues in progress reportsinstead of reporting only ontechnical financial andinstitutional outcomes.

• Provision of drinking waterand separate and appropriatetoilet facilities for boys andgirls in anganwadis andschools.

• Use of Resource Directory ofsupport services to counterViolence Against Women, andcounseling to address genderviolence.

• Appropriate location anddesign of sulabh toilets andother public toilets inconsultation withwomen

• Progress in givingmanagement of waterdistribution and toilets –construction, use and paymentto local women SHGs.

• Progress in security of tenuresto slum dwellers so that theycan invest in private toilets andwater supply in their homes.

2. The monitoring and reportingarrangements will see:(a) Percentage share of resources

and benefits to women.(b) Percentage share of positions

held by women in themanagement.

(c) Actions and steps to addressappropriateness, specialfacilities gender sensitivity inlocations, selection,construction of facilities.

Advocacy, awareness-raising,and information exchange ongender issues:

These are important to ensure that alllevels of personnel involved in watersupply and sanitation programmes aresensitized and trained in gendersensitive, pro-poor approaches.Communities, particularly the urban

poor mainly women headedhouseholds, must be active indetermining and articulating theirneeds and preferences in water supplyand sanitation services, and inparticipating in the management ofwater and sanitation services toensure long term operation andmaintenance. Following actions willbe taken by the project managementunits and the municipal corporations:

1. Developing of gender-focusedinformation, education, andcommunication materials andtools for dissemination in thecommunities and in the civilsociety. This work may be done bygender focal point specialist inconsultation with other partners inthe WAC projects.

2. Ensuring the participation andrepresentation of both women andmen from informal settlementsand slums in public meetingsrelated to water and sanitationissues.

3. Regular public hearings (JanSunwais) will be organized in thewards of each city at leastquarterly. This will be done by civilsociety organizations selected forthis purpose and funded in theprogramme in each city.

4. Mechanisms/networks forknowledge sharing and exchangeof experience gained during projectimplementation will be cultivated,through periodic meetings of localauthorities in the participating citiesand the Gender Mainstreamingstrategy partner organisation.

The action programme with eachaction point, the indicated time lines interms of immediate, medium term andcontinuing activities and suggestedauthorities responsible for each actionpoints are given at annexure.



The Water for Asian Cities Programme is a collaborativeinitiative between UN- HABITAT and the Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB). The ADB supported UWSEIP is beingimplemented in the four project cities with the overallobjectives of providing sustainable basic infrastructure andservices to all its citizens and strengthening the capacities ofthe project cities to plan and manage urban water supplyand sanitation system in a more effective, transparent andsustainable manner. The major loan covenant of theUWSEIP includes social loan covenants including publicparticipation and awareness programme, gender actionplan, land acquisition and resettlement.

The WAC programme is included as a part of the socialcovenant relating to public participation and awareness. It isstipulated that WAC programme, will be implemented, aspart of this covenant and the detailed implementationstrategy and plan agreed with ADB and UN-HABITAT will bethe basis of this implementation. The ADB loan covenant alsoincludes a gender action plan. Hence it is relevant to see thecommonality and synergy between the GenderMainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan prepared for WACprogramme and the Gender Action Plan annexed to the ADBmajor loan covenant of UWSEIP-MP.

The state of MP has the responsibility to ensure that theGender Action Plan is implemented and the ProjectManagement Unit (PMU) has to prepare field manuals andconduct training on the Gender Action Plan for the PMUand PIU staff. Each PIU is also required to have a sectionrelating to community awareness and participation.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan ofWAC programme is focused on the five thematic priorityareas of WAC, namely, pro poor water and sanitationgovernance, integrated urban environmental sanitation,capacity building, monitoring evaluation and knowledgesharing and water demand management. These will takecare of the areas of focus, objectives and activities ofthe Gender Action Plan of ADB’s loan covenant whichhas two areas of focus, namely, project implementationand urban governance.

The three objectives and proposed activities under projectimplementation are (i) to mainstream gender perspective inproject implementation, with the activities of genderawareness workshops with all project consultants and PMUand PIUs, (ii) to ensure women’s full awareness andinvolvement in project implementation and benefits byconducting project awareness, hygiene education and watermanagement campaigns with specific targeting of women,(iii) to ensure that the project benefits positively impactwomen and that benefits are equitable. This is to be doneby establishing a monitoring and evaluation system whichcan report impact of the project on women within overallbenefits monitoring and evaluation.

The Action Plan of Gender Mainstreaming Strategy takescare of all these three objectives. It is focused onmainstreaming gender perspectives in the projectimplementation besides in formulation of projects and theirmonitoring and evaluation. Gender workshops are includedin the action plan in which PMU and PIUs staff are expectedparticipants and women’s full awareness and involvement inthe project implementation benefits is the thrust of theGender Mainstreaming Strategy. Institutionalization ofinformation, awareness and women’s participation hasbeen included. The project PMU and PIU’s social andcommunity development experts will have to collaborate inthis action plan in which they would also include campaignswith specific targeting of women. Similarly, ensuring theproject benefit’s positive impact on women is a key featureof the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and its action plan.Monitoring and evaluation system including monitoring andevaluation of the impact of the project on women has beenproposed. The PMU and PIUs and the social communitydevelopment experts therein will be able to take up thesethings together.

Under urban governance, the gender Action Plan of ADBincludes three objectives and activities (i) to promotegender awareness and equality in urban governance andinstitutional development programme by incorporating thegender perspectives of all aspects of urban governance andinstitutional development programme. Here, the tasks

Strategy of WAC Programme and Gender Action Plan ofMP Urban Project (UWSEIP)

Synergy in Gender Mainstreaming


include review of urban governanceand institutional developmentprogramme, providing cross-cuttinggender advice on reform proposals,incorporating gender aspects in alltraining programmes for state andcorporation officials, forming citystakeholders’ groups and completingpoverty analysis using genderdisaggregated data and involvingconsultation with women.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategyand its action plan include guidelinesof how the institutional developmentshould improve focus on developmentand training programmes for gendermainstreaming.

Gender disaggregated data and propoor governance have been provideda thrust. Special emphasis on genderdisaggregated data and genderdisaggregated indicators is a specialaction point suggested for WACprogramme. This would be supportiveto ADB action point and help the PMUand PIUs with enhanced capacity andunderstanding to implement thegender action plan of ADB loancovenant.

The second objective under urbangovernance is developing aparticipatory municipal action plan forpoverty reduction with activities ofcapacity building within municipalcorporations for participatoryplanning with communityrepresentatives particularly womenand the tasks include forming citystakeholders’ groups and povertyanalysis using gender disaggregateddata and involving consultation withwomen. This action will support theGender Mainstreaming Strategy byemphasizing participation of womenin planning and decision making in themunicipal corporations and will havea strong focus on consultation withwomen and their groups particularlyfrom the socially excluded sections.The third objective under urbangovernance is implementing activitiessupported by Area Improvement Fundand Community Initiatives Fund inpriority slums through involvement ofwomen and is to be done throughundertaking these schemes andinitiatives through participatoryplanning exercise in the slums andsupporting community basedimplementation, where possible, using

women as workers and supervisors.The activities and task suggested hereand the action plan of GenderMainstreaming Strategy with strongfocus on participatory planning,women’s participation in communitybased implementation and involvingthem as workers, supervisorsincluding supply of material by themand taking over the responsibilities ofoperation and management aremutually supporting.

The thrust of gender action plan in theADB loan covenant in projectimplementation and urban governanceand the Gender MainstreamingStrategy and action plan thus stronglyreinforce the same objectives ofbringing gender perspectives inproject planning and implementation,ensuring women’s involvement andbenefits to women from the budgets,training in gender aspects for thegovernment officials and corporationsas well as others, consultation withwomen and including women incommunity based implementation. Theimplementation, monitoring,evaluation and gender indicatorssuggested in Gender Mainstreaming



1. Development of guidelines and practical tools forgender integration.

2. Ability and willingness of the state WAC project office,water and sanitation utilities and municipalgovernments to utilize gender guidelines and practicaltools.

3. Extent of awareness of, and utilizing gender and pro–poor concepts and frameworks by municipalcorporation management and water and sanitationutilities.

4. Number of local women’s groups in each city withimproved skills in management and participation inWAC activities.

5 Proportion of women trained in the management andmaintenance of facilities of water and sanitation sector.

6. Number of women in decision making positions withinwater and sanitation utilities.

Strategy will help in implementation of gender action planof ADB covenant. In fact Gender Mainstreaming Strategyand action plan go beyond this gender action plan and willassist the PMU, PIUs as well as the decision makers withdeeper, sharper, enhanced understanding of gender issuesand perspectives in development and specifically in waterand sanitation sector and address identified gender gaps inaccess and control of water and sanitation services.

The project directorate can usefully operationalise thesynergy in practice by setting up a group consisting of thegender nodal unit and gender focal points included in theGender Mainstreaming Strategy and action plan and thecommunity development experts provided under the ADB

project in PMU and PIUs to work with synergy to completethe tasks indicated in both documents and take upawareness campaigns, prepare reports of gender impactassessment, participatory planning including participationof women, using gender disaggregated data andconsultation with women in poverty analysis, supportingcommunity based implementation with involvement ofwomen, gender training and responsiveness of schemesand projects in responding to women’s needs andpriorities. This can be done with the assistance of anorganization with understanding of gender and itsmainstreaming in the project and to help in detailing of theprogress reports, indicators, checklists suggested in theGender Mainstreaming Strategy and its action plan.

7. Proportion of women participating in local governanceon issues related to water and sanitation and managinglocal level water distribution and sanitation facilities inthe slums.

8. Gap between the goal of full provision and supply ofwater and sanitation services and the current level ofservice provision.

9. Level of development and inclusion of gender sensitivenorms and standards in the working and practices ofwater and sanitation services providers particularly inthe slums.

10. Increase of access to water and sanitation services forthe most poor mainly women headed households.

11. Level of satisfaction of the urban poor both women andmen with their water and sanitation services.

Indicators of achievement


Annexure



Thematic Area Action Time Frame ResponsiblePoints (i) Immediate Authorities

(ii) Medium term (WAC’sProgramme Period)

(iii) Long Term

Action Plan for ImplementingGMS : Time frame, responsibleauthorities


State Govt.UADD and the project directorate Continuing during asto play leadership role and undertake well as after the ADB/

HABITAT Projects arecompleted

1. Comprehensive Gender Assessment of Immediate State Urban andimplications of policies, programme and Development Department;actions for gender neutrality, gender sensitivity Project Directorate; Municipaland gender positiveness. Corporation to follow;

Gender expert to help

2. Set up expert group, report in 2006-07 Immediate State Urban andDevelopment Department;Project Directorate; MunicipalCorporation to follow;Gender expert to help

3. Assess gender impact of all project Immediate State Urban andcomponents in the sector–engineering, Development Department;institutional strengthening, financial, Project Directorate; Municipalcommunity development, health components. Corporation to follow;


4. Incorporate policy directions under UWSEIP Immediate State Urban andand WAC to enhance women’s agency: Development Department;(i)build local women’s organizations Project Directorate; Municipal(ii)give women, property/tenurial rights and Corporation to follow;control over local level productive assets Gender expert to helpcreated in water and sanitation projects whichcan be managed by them for local service.

5. Consultation with local women and Immediate State Urban andtheir groups in decision making in Development Department;water and sanitation services Project Directorate; Municipalparticularly in service deficient areas Corporation to follow;


6. Build women inclusive local institutions, Immediate Municipal Corporationslike women’s committees with womenas chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers.

7. Constitute ward committees and mohalla Immediate Municipal Corporationscommittees and hold democraticelections to enhance women’s participationin them to make women chairpersons inatleast one third of them.

8. Promote collection of gender-disaggregated Immediate State Urban and Development data related to WSS in all concerned Department; Project Directorate;institutions. Municipal Corporations

9. Undertake gender responsive budgeting, Immediate State Urban and Developmentbudget/analysis in project office and in four Department; Project Directorate;Municipal Corporations. Add explanatory Municipal Corporationsmemo on gender budget with project andmunicipal budgets. UADD to issueguidelines on the subject

A. General




1. Ensure transparency and gender equity in Medium Term State Urbanallocation of resources – funds and Development Department,human resources even in primarily Project Directoratetechnical projects

2. Set up nodal gender unit in project Immediate State Urbandirectorate Development Department,

Project Directorate

a. Form advisory committee, including Immediate State Urbanpartners in capacity building and gender Development Department,mainstreaming to assist nodal gender unit Project Directorate

b. Gender Nodal unit to operationalise GMS(i) Oversee compliance of general Immediate and State Urban

guidelines about women in continuing Development Department,work place Project Directorate

(ii) Initiate development of gender Immediate and State Urbanchecklist, gender sensitive norms continuing Development Department,and procedures Project Directorate

(iii) Circulate gender checklist, norms Immediate and State Urbanand procedures, analyse reports, continuing Development Department,of action and progress, suggest Project Directoratefurther action.

3. Set up gender focal points at each Immediate Municipal Corporationsmunicipal corporation.

4. (i) Each municipal corporation to Immediate and Municipal Corporationsamend approach, continuingprocedures, rules, regulations forparticipation of women and mento make them gender sensitive, toremove barriers to theirparticipation.

(ii) Formulate gender sensitive norms, Immediate and Municipal Corporationsrules, procedures of providing continuingservices, resources for WSS, andinformation management toremove gender gap and barriersto access.

(iii) Review through expert group Immediate and Municipal Corporationsin 2006-07 continuing

5. Undertake identification of roles Immediate and UADD/Projectand responsibilities of women and continuing Directorate and Municipalmen in all aspects of water supply Corporationsand sanitation to meet their needsand priorities.

6. Ensure adequate representation of Immediate and UADD/Project

B. Pro poorWater andSanitationGovernance


women in all committees of continuing Directorate and Municipalmunicipal corporations and revive Corporationsmohalla committees

7. Ensure lead role of women in all Immediate and UADD/Projectlocal decision making committees continuing Directorate and Municipalon management of assets and infrastructure Corporationscreated under the water and sanitationprojects; Include women corporators;see in monitoring, reporting arrangementsand monitor compliance.

8. (a) Reservation and nomination of Immediate and State Urban Developmentwomen in all WSS Committees. continuing Department, Project

(b) Transparent criteria of decision Immediate and Directorate, Municipalmaking in planning, procurement, continuing Corporationsconstruction, operation andmaintenance of water andsanitation services.

(c) Convenient time and suitable Immediate and Project Directorate,places of meetings, remuneration continuing Municipalfor meeting to enable women’s Corporationsparticipation. Arrange women’straining, exposure visits for publicconsultation processes.Operationalise by issuing guidelinesin consultation meetings whichinclude women.

9. In selection of projects and consultants

– include gender expert on Immediate and Project Directorate,project team continuing Municipal Corporations

– facilitate participation of both men Immediate and Project Directorate,and women, change project rules, continuing Municipal Corporationsprocedures

– determine and reduce gender Immediate and Project Directorate,barriers to women’s participation continuing Municipal Corporations

10. In implementation and supervisionprocesses

– raise awareness about gender Immediate and State Urban Developmentissues, municipal corporations, continuing Department, Projectwater sanitation managements, Directorate, Municipalorganize training, workshop, Corporationsstudy tours

– include gender experts on Immediate and State Urban Developmentimplementation staff units, continuing Department, Projectamend project implementation Directorate, Municipalrules and procedures to facilitate Corporationsparticipation of both men and women.




11. Identify and promote women’s Self Immediate and Municipal CorporationsHelp Groups and Committees continuing and civil society organisationsat the city and ward levels– consult them in selection Immediate and Project Directorate

of WSS models, locations, continuingconstruction

– support with training and Immediate and Municipal Corporationsrevolving fund; handover water continuingdistribution, management ofcommunity /public sanitary blocksto them at the community level.

12. Involve local women’s groups in Immediate and Municipal Corporations

monitoring, evaluation of use and Medium Term

impact, of WSS services/Train women’s

groups to collect, understand gender

disaggregated data on representation,

services, access etc. local women’s

groups to collect data and organize

participatory exercise

13. Adopt gender budgeting to reflect Immediate and Local women groups with

resource allocation for women’s Medium Term support of local Councilors and

needs and priorities and in WSS Municipal Officials

projects, impact and benefits of

allocations and projects and

programmes to women. Add a gender

budget explanatory memorandum

to Municipal Corporation budget for

this purpose.

15. Introduce a committee in municipal Immediate and UADD, Municipal Corporations

corporation to monitor grievances Medium Term

and complaints of women.


1. Target of open defecation free project Medium Term UADD, Municipal Corporations

cities by 2009.

2. Ensure accessible and affordable Water and Medium Term UADD, Municipal Corporations

Sanitation services for all community

particularly uban poor women and men.

3. Ensure Functioning and sustained water Medium Term UADD, Municipal Corporations

supply and toilet facilities in all public

institutions, offices, centres, shopping

complexes, etc.

4. Explore potential areas of Medium Term Municipal Corporations with

entrepreneurship, micro credit, income collaboration of local NGOs

generation in water and sanitation

services especially for the most poor

and assist local women groups of the

poor to access and use them.

5. Promote pro poor affordable water and Medium Term UADD, Municipal Corporations

sanitation technologies.

6. Provide hygiene education and raise Medium Term Project Directorate,

awareness of local officials, Municipal Corporations

municipal officials to help to achieve

better environmental sanitation

programmes.

7. (a) Build partnership between Medium Term Municipal Corporationsmunicipal corporations and civil with local NGOs/womensociety groups e.g. local women’s SHGsorganizations for better deliveryand management of sanitationutilities.

(b) Involve local women’s groups Medium Term Municipal Corporationsthrough consultations, in the with local NGOs/womendecision for design and location SHGsof the sanitary complexes.

8. Handover local sanitary complexes, Immediate Municipal Corporationsdisused public toilets in slums afterrepairs to local women’s groupsin slums.

C. IntegratedUrbanEnvironmentalSanitation




9. (a) Promote local Self Help Groups Immediate Municipal Corporations withto provide material for construction local NGOsof water and sanitationinfrastructure.

(b) Provide training to women’s groups Immediate Municipal Corporations withfor masonry work and entrust them local NGOswith responsibility for constructionof toilets in slum households,according to local choice andmaintenance and repair workon time.

10. Construct separate sanitary blocks for Immediate Municipal Corporationsmen and women and children in allpublic toilets providing privacy forwomen and girls, ample water supplyand electrification especially in theslum localities.

11. (a) Construct separate and Immediate Urban Development Department/appropriate toilets for boys and girls School Education Authorities

State and local

(b) Provide them in all schools by continue in medium Municipal Corporationsterm to complete

12. Adopt women and child friendly design Municipal Corporationsand location of sanitary complexes.

13. Promote building of toilets in all slum Immediate Municipal Corporations withhouseholds and, where appropriate, Local NGOsjoint toilet complex for a set ofhouseholds by 2009 and takingsewerage connections by linking poorand women to cheap micro finance.

14. Entrust responsibility of waste Medium Term Municipal Corporations insegregation and it’s recycling to the cooperation with NGOsgroups of urban poor on payment, withnecessary implements and protectivegear.


In WDM Projects

a. Consult women’s groups for equitable Immediate Project Directorate; Municipaldelivery of water and sanitation Corporations; take support ofservices local NGOs and gender

expert

b. Local women’s groups handling Immediate Project Directorate; Municipaloperation, maintenance and Corporations; take support ofregulation of water and sanitation local NGOs and genderservices expert

c. Involve women in water audit and Immediate Project Directorate; Municipalbudgeting and also recycling of Corporations; take support ofwaste water local NGOs and gender

expert

D. WaterDemandManagement




1. Integrate gender mainstreaming and Immediate Project Directorate withpro poor issues into planning, project partners, Schoolimplementation of all water and sanitation Education Authoritiesactivities under the VBWE programme.

2. Set up a project steering committee with Immediate Project Directorate withkey institutions and stakeholders in project partners, Schooleach city specially including Education Authoritiesrepresentation of local women’sgroups to oversee and monitortranslation and implementation ofVBWE activities and gender issues.Partners in VBWE and GMS be associated.

3. Continuously review teaching tools and Immediate and Urban Development Departmentthe curriculum to make teachers Continuing Project Directorate, Schoolgender-sensitive. Teachers will be trained Education Departmentin gender sensitive water educationcurriculum.

WAC project office to collaborate Immediate Urban Development Departmentwith state education department for Project Directorate, Schooldevelopment of a module on gender Education Departmentsensitive wator education for inclusion intraining programmes for teachers.

4. Training of all school children in Immediate Project Directorate,practicing waste segregation by School Education Departmentdisposing of waste paper and otherwaste in different coloured waste bins.

E. Valuebased Water,Sanitationand HygieneEducation(VBWE)


1. Gender Mainstreaming WorkshopsGender Mainstreaming workshops will Immediate and Project Directorate,be conducted in each project city to Continuing Municipal Corporationsassist in understanding andimplementation of GenderMainstreaming Strategy in each city.

2. Capacity Building of ProgrammeStaff of WACExpose the staff of UN-HABITAT’s Water Immediate UN-HABITAT Country officefor Asian Cities programme at the statelevel including consultants to gendertraining

3 .3 .3 .3 .3 . Training of Staff of State ProjectOffice and Local Authorities1. Awareness-raising workshops for Immediate Urban Development

the concerned personnel of the Department, Projectstate project office, the municipal Directorate, Assistancecorporations and PHED on gender from GMS Strategysensitive legislation, policies, specializing organisationsguidelines, procedures, normsrelated to water and sanitation andon importance of the participationof both women and men in localdecision making including speciallythe technical selections.

2. Organise training of staff of state Immediate and Urban Developmentproject office and local Continuing Department, Projectauthorities, prepare and include Directorate, Assistancemodule on from GMS Strategy(i) gender mainstreaming specializing organisationsmethodologies – research,participatory rapid assessments,gender analysis and planningincluding the capacity todisaggregate data by gender.(ii) pro poor, gender sensitivegovernance mechanisms includingcommunity participation,community based models,participatory developmentapproaches, and alternatecommunity based financingsystems.(iii) capacity developmentin pro-poor, gender sensitivemonitoring and evaluation,including the development ofgender sensitive indicators.

F. Trainingand CapacityBuilding




4. Capacity building of WATSANutilitiesTraining workshops for the staff of water Immediate and Project Directorate andand sanitation utilities in gender Continuing Municipal Corporationssensitive, pro poor concepts andapproaches, and the conditions/needsof the urban poor, particularly themost vulnerable in under-servicedcommunities and settlements. e.g.women headed house holds

5. Capacity building of local women’sorganizations1. Training to poor women and men Immediate and Project Directorate, Municipal

slum dwellers or those living in Continuing Corporation in cooperationinformal settlements in the legal with NGOs with expertisesystem related to water andsanitation to claim their rights.

2. Training to raise their skills and Immediate and Project Directorate, Municipalknowledge in leadership to Continuing Corporation in cooperationparticipate efficiently in decision with NGOs with expertisemaking process in water andsanitation services in theircommunities.

3. (a) Trainings of local women Immediate and Project Directorate, Municipal particularly in the slum Continuing Corporation in cooperation households to address the needs with NGOs with expertise of the roles of men and women in WSS projects.(b) Train women in leadership Immediate and Project Directorate, Municipal and in basic Continuing Corporation in cooperation O & M techniques. with NGOs with expertise

4. Train poor women entrepreneurs Immediate and Project Directorate, Municipalin access and use of micro-credit in Continuing Corporation in cooperationWATSAN and sensitize them to with NGOs with expertiseoperate in WAC.

5. In order to take advantage of Immediate and Project Directorate/Municipallarger opportunities help them to Continuing Corporations with NGOs withlearn non-traditional skills and new expertise in livelihood abdtechnologies of water and Micro Creditsanitation services and to accessfinancial institutions.

6. Teacher training and raisingawareness1. Train teachers in development and Immediate and Project Directorate and School

delivery of gender sensitive water Continuing Education Departmenteducation curriculum.


2. Capacity building workshops in Immediate and Project Directorate and Schooldevelopment of educational Continuing Education Deptt.materials, providing informationon proper use of standpipes, watertaps, water sources, and waterpollution and conservation.

3. Periodic meetings and exchange Immediate and Municipal Corporations withof experience of local education Continuing local school authoritiesauthorities will be organized in theparticipating cities.




Monitoring:1. Undertake regular internal monitoring Immediate and Urban Development Deptt/

and evaluation of progress made and Continuing Project Directorate; Associateobstacles encountered in integrating local women’s groupsgender perspectives in all activities; and organizations withIntegrated results be visible in all expertise on gender issuesroutine and special progress reports.

2. Project directorate to initiate action to Immediate and Urban Development Deptt/adopt gender sensitive indicators for Continuing Project Directorate; Associatemonitoring impact of project local women’s groupsinterventions. This includes collection and organizations withof gender disaggregated data on expertise on gender issues

• Positions held by men and womenwithin management committees.

• Presence of women in non-traditional,managerial & management technicalpositions in WSS.

• Attendance of men and women attraining, planning meetings,construction activities.

• Uptake of facilities created by theproject by different categories ofusers, men and women.

Evaluation:

1. Interim and final evaluation reporting of Immediate and Urban Development Deptt/the UWSEIP and WAC projects to Continuing Project Directorate; Associateinclude items suggested in monitoring local women’s groupsas well as qualitative interpretation of and organizations withquantitative data and comparison with expertise on gender issuesbaseline situation at different stages ofproject and also include evaluation of

• Changes in women’s involvement indecision making in the project activitiesand in WSS

• Changes in men’s and women’sWSS practices

• Changes in constraints faced by menand women in participation and useof project implementation

• Changes in women’s management andcontrol of facilities at household andcommunity level

• Progress on reflecting gender issues inprogress reports instead of reportingonly on technical financial andinstitutional outcomes

• Provision of drinking water andseparate and appropriate toiletfacilities for boys and girls inanganwadis and schools

G. Monitoring,EvaluationandKnowledgesharing


• Use of Resource Directory of SupportServices to counter violence againstwomen, and counseling to addressgender violence.

• Appropriate location of public toiletsand other community toilets inconsultation with women.

• Progress in giving management ofwater distribution and toilets –construction, use and payment tolocal women SHGs.

• Progress in security of tenures to slumdwellers so that they can invest inprivate toilets and water supply intheir homes.

2. Monitoring and reporting arrangements Immediate and UDD, Project Directorateto see (i) percentage share of resources continuingand benefits to women, percentage ofpositions held by women inmanagement of WSS at all levels(ii) actions and steps to addressappropriateness, special facilities,gender sensitivity in location, selection,construction of facilities.

Advocacy, awareness-raising, andinformation exchange on gender issues1. Developing of gender-focused Immediate and Project Directorate in

information, education, and continuing collaboration with NGOs withcommunication materials and tools expertise in communicationfor dissemination in the communities strategiesand in the civil society.

2. Ensuring participation and Immediate and Project Directoraterepresentation of both women and continuing and Municipal Corporationsmen from informal settlements andslums in public meetings related towater and sanitation issues.

3. Organising regular public hearings Immediate and Municipal Corporations(Jan Sunwais) in the wards of each continuingcity at least quarterly.

4. Mechanisms/networks for knowledge Immediate and Project Directoratesharing and exchange of experience continuinggained in implementing throughperiodic meetings of local authoritiesand GMS partner organization.

Synergy in GMS of WAC and Gender Immediate Project DirectorateAction Plan of ADB’s UWSEIPSetting up a joint group of Gendernodal unit, gender focal points andcommunity development experts in PMU,PIUs to complete the tasks listed in both.


References1. GOI (2002): Tenth Five Year plan 2002-2007, New Delhi2. Jean Dreze and Amratya Sen (2002) India: Development and Participation; New Delhi, Oxford University

Press.3. UNDP (1997): Governance for Sustainable Development, New York, United Nations Development

Programme4. World Bank (1992): Governance and Development, Washington DC, World Bank.

Glossary0. CBO – Community Based Organisations1. GIS – Geographical Information System2. MP–Madhya Pradesh3. PGN - Practical Gender Needs4. PHED – Public Health Engineering Department5. RGA – Rapid Gender Assessment6. SGN – Strategic Gender Needs7. WSS – Water and Sanitation Services8. WATSAN – Water and Sanitation9. WDM - Water Demand Management10. VAW – Violence against women11. ICDS – Integrated Child Development Services12. UADD/UDD-Urban Administration and Development Department13. UWSEIP – Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project



Nirmala BuchChairpersonMahila Chetna Manch,Kalyani Hostel Parisar,Shivali Nagar, Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh- 462 016, IndiaTel : +91-755-2572218, 2554544Fax : 91-755-2558398E-mail : [email protected]

Aniruddhe MukerjeeChief Technical AdvisorWater for Asian Cities Programme, IndiaUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme(UN-HABITAT)E-1/191, Arera Colony, Bhopal-462 016, IndiaTel : +91-755-2460836,Fax : +91-755-2460837

Programme Contact Persons:

Andre DzikusProgramme ManagerWater for Cities ProgrammeUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure BranchP.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, KenyaTel : +254-20-7623060, 7625082Fax : +254-20-7623588E-mail : [email protected]

Kulwant SinghChief Technical AdvisorWater for Asian Cities Programme OfficeEP 16/17, Chandragupta Marg,Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110 021, IndiaTel : +91-11-24104970/1/2/3Fax : +91-11-24104961E-mail : [email protected]

mainstreaming gender water and sanitation for asian cities programme, madhya pradesh, india...

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