Gender, Farmer managed irrigation systems

Zwarteveen, M.

English

Research Papers in Economics

ance.  This is being used as a feedback correction­
response mechanism by the National Irrigation 
Administration (NIA).  A report with an assess­
ment of findings and recommendations will be 
prepared before the end of 1993. 
Others conducting research on farmer-managed 
irrigation are invited to submit short articles to the 
FMIS Newsletter. 
(Dr.  D. Vermillion is in the Local Management Program at 
IIM! Headquarters in Sri Lanka.) 
MORE ON GENDER ISSUES 
~  Gender Issues and Irrigation: Some Experiences and Initiatives 
We were happy to receive quite a number of reac­
tions to our request for information and experi­
ences on  gender  related questions in  irrigation. The 
reactions prove that there is a growing awareness 
that effective irrigation planning and management 
approaches need  to  take  gender considerations 
into account.  As a result, there also is a growing 
need for information on approaches, mechanisms 
and strategies to adequately recognize and address 
gender-related issues in the context of irrigation. A 
number of people wrote to us, requesting for infor­
mation, training materials, andmethodologies. Col­
lecting and evaluating past and on-going experi­
ences is a first good step in developing this infor­
mation.  We  would therefore like  to encourage 
members of the FMIS  Network to keep in touch 
with us and to share with us,  and others, your 
findings and experiences. 
First attempts to improve the gender awareness of 
irrigation-related actors have been made in Bangla­
desh, Indonesia, India, Tanzania and Burkina Faso. 
The experiences show that involving and accom­
modating both male and fem



SSSSS
access to, and 
control of, critical resources. 
A participatory approach, communicating and in­
teracting with both female and male farmers can 
help to identify and address women's and men's 
shared and conflicting interests and needs. This is 
emphasized in two sets of guidelines, one prepared 
by SAW  A (a consultancy bureau) and the other by 
the Netherlands Embassy in India.  These guide­
lines aim to assist irrigation planners and designers 
in recognizing and addressing gender considera­
tions in the planning, design and implementation 
of irrigation projects. 
The need for research aimed at analyzing and un­
derstanding the various agricultural, irrigation and 
management activities performed by women and 
men and the way in which these are interdepend­
ent was stressed by various respondents. Women 
need to be recognized and addressed in their ca­
pacities as producers and providers, and not just in 
their domestic roles.  In many existing irrigation 
systems, projects complying with donor require­
ments to pay attention to women and/or gender 
issues has resulted in isolated, small-scale income­
generating projects. The experience has shown that 
merely adding a women's component to existing or 
planned irrigation projects often has a very limited 
impact, and in itself may cause the aggravation of 
gender inequalities in project activities. 
Some of the more interesting experiences and ini­
tiatives are summarized in more detail below.  If 
Network members would like to have more infor­
mation, please either contact us, or communicate 
directly with the authors. 
(Margreet Zwarteveen, Associate Expert Gender Issues and 
Irrigation, IIM!.) 
Five selected pumping schemes in Northeast Thai­
land were part  of the Mekong Irrigation Programme, 
implemented during 1985-1991.  The main objec­
tive of this Programme was to increase agricultural 
production.  The role of women in achieving this 
objective is significant, even though many young 
women migrate to cities for off-farm work.  Once 
wome
11 

Gender issues and irrigation: Some experiences and initiatives

http://publications.iwmi.org/pdf/H01891.pdf

Gender issues and irrigation: Some experiences and initiatives

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Research Papers in Economics