Women and Water Sector Reform: Implications of Feminist Politics

Citation:

Kulkarni, Seema. 2007. "Women and Water Sector Reform: Implications of Feminist Politics." In Impact of Watershed Management on Women and Vulnerable Groups, edited by Amita Shah SP and Sreedevi TK, 101-13. Pune: Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management.

Author: Seema Kulkarni

Abstract:

This paper tries to understand the impacts on women vis-à-vis some of the broader feminist goals which strive for changing power relations between men and women and between different groups. It tries to look at concerns like voice, decision making, inner strength, confidence, access to a range of tangible and intangible resources and the potential it holds for challenging gender inequities. Methodologically this is not an easy issue given that women have largely been silent on the impacts of reform in domestic water sector and the irrigation sector. The paper analyses the Maharashtra government’s domestic water and irrigation policies and its impact on women.

Topics: Feminisms, Gender, Women, Gendered Power Relations, Gender Equality/Inequality, Infrastructure, Water & Sanitation Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: India

Year: 2007