Water Gender Indicators in Agriculture: A Study of Horticultural Farmer Organizations in Senegal

Abstract

This paper intends to contribute to the debate on gender equality and water within the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs 5 and 6. Farmers organizations are often considered key stakeholders whose participation should be fostered to achieve a good water governance in agriculture and irrigation programs. Nonetheless, many water management interventions tackle participation as an instrumental and formal process. A common assumption is that granting sufficient space for women in water management will automatically ensure a greater gender empowerment. Nevertheless, often low importance is given to assessing who really actively participates and benefits from water development projects, favoring the technical aspects. This paper addresses the articulation between gender, water management and indicators, using male, female and mixed farmer organizations as touchstones in three regions of Senegal. The authors defines a system of water gender indicators grouped into five sections. The first results show more similarities between mixed and female organizations, while the main gender inequalities are visible in the water technique and economic domains. Thanks to this study, we can see how a gender-based analysis may allow to more deeply understand some more or less "hidden" water governance mechanisms and their related implications in terms of project management and policy making.

Inclusive participation, self-governance, and sustainability: Current challenges and opportunities for women in leadership of communal irrigation systems

“…Participation of women in irrigation system management is directly linked to their participation in farming, which is constrained by cultural norms and traditions, but also by heavier domestic workloads. This has been described by the scholarship on gender and irrigation (for example, Centrone et al, 2017;Harris, 2006;Lefore et al, 2017) and confirmed by our findings of Tigray and Mendoza.…”

“…This has been described by the scholarship on gender and irrigation (for example, Harris, 2006;Centrone et al, 2017;Lefore et al, 2017) and confirmed by our findings of Tigray and…”

Mapping Antecedents and Outcomes of Marginality and Social Exclusion among Small Landholders: A Systematic Review

“…At the same time, labor practices, class privilege, farmers' education, income gap, and leadership skills influence social capital, which eventually has a direct effect on social exclusion (Dribe & Svensson, 2008;Ngoc Anh et al, 2012;Black et al, 2019). Goal 5 in SDGs is gender equality, as women's inequality in agriculture is also the reason for female farmers' social exclusion (Centrone et al, 2017). It was noted from available researches, although women performed key roles in agricultural activities, that due to local societies and customs, they were treated differently as compared to men.…”

“…The study further suggests that female group memberships assist in reducing workload, more control over income, and reduce inequality. Centrone et al (2017) examined the gender (in) equality and water indicators mentioned in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), five and six, regarding the agriculture sector in Senegal. It is perceived that farmers' organizations are the key stakeholders to successfully attain water management in irrigation programs and agriculture.…”