The 1992 Rio Earth Summit acknowledged women’s pivotal role in the provision, management, and safeguarding of water around the world. Over three decades later, women in India remain the unheralded custodians of our water resources, serving as primary collectors, users, and managers for households, livelihoods, and communities. Yet, their voices are absent from water governance.
Water scarcity is a stark reality for a significant portion of India. UNICEF estimates over two-thirds of districts face extreme water depletion, disproportionately affecting women, especially in rural and marginalised areas. The International Development Enterprises estimates that women in India spend 150 million workdays annually fetching water for domestic use. The economic and quality of life cost of this is undeniable: It keeps girls out of school and affects their academic performance, can make them more vulnerable to violence during the commute, may result in physical strain, and lessens the time women can spend on generating income, household tasks, skill development, or leisure activities. The drudgery of journeying across long distances, often multiple times a day, can take a significant toll – draining their energy and limiting their aspirations. Socioeconomic factors like caste, income, and geography interweave with women’s experiences of water and governance, impacting their lives and futures.
Fixed and regular water connections through schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission ensure better health and sanitation, particularly relevant for the role that the society has assigned to women. The roles extend beyond homes; they are the traditional guardians of clean water in households, ensuring consumption and hygiene. This is crucial for effective water governance, where local ownership and regulation are pillars of sustainable resource development. Their absence at decision-making tables deprives the process of critical, firsthand insights into domestic water use and an opportunity to empower them. This exclusion stifles their voices and deprives the sector of real-world knowledge, further hindering access for these primary custodians and curbing the opportunity of enhanced confidence and agency of women. This is going to be all the more important in the context of the intensifying water challenges – the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development projects a 55% demand increase globally by 2050. Resource preservation hinges on women’s active engagement and empowerment in water governance.
The evidence for women’s role in water governance is widespread and compelling, and it holds the key to uplifting entire communities from water scarcity, improving public health, and fostering economic development. By ensuring women’s voice in water security plan for villages in some districts of Rajasthan, women have not only emphasized on increasing the supply of water through water harvesting, but also influenced the water demand through change of cropping pattern to reduce the usage of water for irrigation. On the other hand, village Bhadurpura in Rajasthan is a case in point for how women take initiative when they get a broader perspective. Open defecation was a persistent sanitation issue here and the Centre for Microfinance (CmF) recognised that simply building toilets wouldn't guarantee their use. They needed a way to shift mindsets. Their answer – social art. A theatrical performance portraying the negative consequences of open defecation resonated deeply with women like Vagtu Bai, who approached CmF to completely rebuild their dysfunctional toilet. She also actively participated in securing funds and managing the project, even dipping into her savings to ensure the toilet was well-constructed, hygienic, and private. Stories like these exemplify the transformative power women hold within their communities. Similar efforts in 12 states, leveraging deep behavior change to instill the value of water among women and the community, both in terms of health and progress, have led to quick adoption and greater adherence to safe water practices.
The evidence is undeniable - women’s leadership is crucial for sustainable water management, and we must not ignore their traditional knowledge. In fact, a World Bank study found that projects with women’s involvement were six to seven times more effective. To unlock this potential, stakeholders must invest in training and education programs that equip women with the skills to implement meaningful water conservation efforts locally. Further, women in key decision-making bodies is crucial to ensure representation and effective contribution, guaranteeing their long-term inclusion.
Ensuring water security in India hinges on recognising and empowering its longstanding stewards – women. By empowering these de-facto leaders of household and enabling community water practices for water management and governance, we can lift rural Indian communities out of water scarcity for generations to come.
This article is authored by Shilpa Vasavada, advisor and Divyang Waghela, head, WaSH, Tata Trusts.
This article was first published on 22 March, 2025 on hindustantimes.com.
