Expert Group MeetingGender-Disaggregated Data on Water and

Sanitation

Kenza Kaouakib-RobinsonUnited Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)UN Gender and Water Task Force

Background – Why was the EGM organized?

Despite the central role of women in water resource management and sanitation, women’s involvement in planning and management of water and sanitation systems remains limited;

So far, global commitments made in the areas of water and sanitation do not specifically address the equitable division of power, work, access to and control of resources between men and women.

Gender mainstreaming in sanitation and water policies urgently needed;

Lack of gender-disaggregated data.

Against this background, an Expert Group Meeting was organized by UN-DESA and UNW-DPC at the UN Headquarters in New York on December 2-3, 2008

Goals of the EGM

To take stock of the state of GDD on WATSAN at global and regional levels

Identify obstacles to GDD capacity/collection and identify data needs

Make recommendations on policies, practices and priorities to improve the state of GDD

Assess the nature of changes in the use and collection of data to support a gender-informed water and sanitation agenda

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Outcome

Obstacles to developing, collecting and using GDD on WATSAN

1. Broad social/ cultural and institutional obstacles

2. Lack of institutional commitment/ accountability

3. Problems characteristic of WATSAN sectors

4. Data collection and methodology

1. Broad social/ cultural and institutional obstacles

Gender issues: a challenge to “business as usual”

Gender awareness challenges the status quo in many societies: resistance

Key policy-makers seldom are sensitized to gender issues.

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2. Lack of institutional commitment/ accountability

no sanctions for not improving gender capacity

Turnover in governments and leadership within agencies: political will and commitment to gender agendas often changes

Within the UN, lack of leadership in gender data initiative

UN IYS Flagship Publication

3. Problems characteristic of WATSAN sectors

Water and sanitation considered “gender-neutral” and common resources

General lack of awareness of the importance of GDD

The sector dominated by infrastructures/engineering perspectives, not social

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4. Data collection and methodology

Neither the quality nor the type of data currently collected are adequate to support gender goals in water and sanitation

(i.e. household unit of analysis hinders intra-household analysis)

Lack of dissemination of local/regional data produced

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Data collection needs: main gender-disaggregated indicators currently unrepresented or underrepresented

Basic parameters of gender and water/sanitation use:

Time (i.e. to collect water) Decision-making and policy Costs and benefits Private income and

expenditures Public and school-based water

and sanitation Health, sanitation

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Recommendations

Institutional constraints that inhibit the collection of gender-disaggregated water and sanitation data identified, monitored and redressed.

Governments and multilateral donors should consider implementing new mechanisms and approaches of disaggregated data collection in the water and sanitation sectors taking into account needs and obstacles identified by the EGM

Initiatives need to involve grassroots participants as well as policy makers and incorporate lessons from successful local and small scale efforts.

Recommendations

While foundational, revisionary work is underway, existing data mechanisms at local, national and global levels should be improved to incorporate GDD. For example:

– UNDP could incorporate WATSAN as one component of its composite gender indices

– UNIFEM could incorporate water into their time-use studies

Recommendations

As a priority, six gendered indicators on water and sanitation should be incorporated into existing surveys and data collection efforts:

1) The adequacy and availability of water and sanitation at the household level for daily needs;

2) The time spent, by sex, to collect water;3) Relationships between transportation and gender in collecting

water ( distinguishing ”carrying” versus “assisted transport”) ;4) Kind of sanitation facilities actually used by men and by

women;5) Women’s participation in decision-making processes regarding

water and sanitation;6) Sanitation facilities in schools.

Recommendations

Institutional constraints that inhibit the collection of Gender-disaggregated WATSAN Data should be identified to allow for effective institutional capacity-building

The UN Statistical Commission should consider the proposed indicators in its deliberations

In most countries, women are the primary stakeholders in the water and sanitation sectors

Countries must adopt gender-friendly national sanitation policies

Gender considerations are at the heart of providing, managing and conserving the world’s water resources

…Let’s make it happen!

Thank you!