Challenges of Water Crisis on Women’s Socio-Economic Activities in the Buea Municipality, Cameroon

Abstract

Although water is a basic human right, it is also essential for achieving sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The economic cost of water crisis can be very severe for women in low income societies whose activities revolve around water, ranging from domestic to economic needs. This paper looks at the water situation of a rapidly growing town, Buea, in the SW Region of Cameroon, and how it poses a challenge to women's socioeconomic efforts. The results presented are based on analysis of field data collected from 177 water users and stakeholders of the study area through a stratified random sampling technique and analyzed with the help of SPSS and Epi softwares. Findings reveal that the water crisis in Buea is human-induced and women are the most affected because their socioeconomic lives are highly dependent on water. While this situation directly affects the quality/quantity of water, and the amount of time women spend on water collection, it also has far-reaching implications on the socioeconomic welfare of the municipality.

Water, Sanitation, and Women’s Empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis

“…154,185 Sexual harassment, including verbal harassment, peeping, flashing, and male masturbation is also more frequently documented in sanitation [157][158][159][160]175,176,200,203,212,217,219 than water research. 130,200,217,245 Women doing manual scavenging reported verbal abuse. 124 Physical Violence All research describing fear or experience of non-partner physical violence focused on sanitation, while all articles focusing on intimate partner physical violence and most focusing on interpersonal conflict focused on water.…”

“…225 Some Kenyan women mentioned rape as a stressor (specifically during menstruation, which compels toilet use). 241 Walking long distances and collecting water from certain sources reportedly exposed women and girls to sexual violence, 62,139,165,217,244,245 particularly as men studied women's patterns. 165 In refugee settings in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, caregivers advised girls to not bathe at the river or in community showers to avoid rape.…”

“…Women and girls' experiences of illness and infirmity related to water and sanitation conditions are well documented. 49,51,56,62,67,72,97,104,108,109,121,127,130,140,154,[158][159][160]163,164,170,172,[174][175][176][177]181,[183][184][185]188,194,200,206,209,211,212,217,[225][226][227]233,242,245,258,259,264,270,271,273,…”

“…258 Women qualitatively reported perceived linkages between various illnesses and their water and sanitation environments and experiences. Women reported experiencing or fearing diarrhea, vomiting, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis, schistosomiasis, and skin diseases due to polluted water, 51,56,72,97,130,163,164,183,185,200,206,211,217,234,245,259,274 and experiencing diarrhea due to limitations on hygiene in times of water scarcity. 56,109,188 Women in India worried about spreading disease if limited water constrained their ability to wash their hands during menstruation, 212 and were concerned about fungal diseases when using dirty water inside sanitation facilities.…”

Embodied intersections: Gender, water and sanitation in Cameroon

“…Notably, there is a lack of empirical qualitative water research with women in Cameroon. Recent survey research about labor divisions concludes that women are most likely to use water (for activities such as cooking, childcare and cleaning), and therefore are most affected by water problems (Fonjong & Ngekwi 2014). Furthermore, participatory research with youth identified risks of sexual violence related to water collection, as well as how water shortages contribute to perceptions of girls' sexualities (Thompson, Folifac & Gaskin 2011).…”