ILSSI LESSONS LEARNED IN GENDER AND WATER USE Eliza (RAS Dar) & Chris (SUA)

Outlines Introduction Lessons learned Conclusion and recommendation

Introduction This presentation centres on gender and water use aspects in 3 Regions (Mwanza, Babati and Morogoro). Mwanza Region represent the intervention under HKI while Babati and Morogoro regions represents the ILSSI intervention Will provide some reflections on water and gender aspects through lessons learnt from recent field research conducted in (End of Dec 2015). The lessons are drown from themes emanating from the FGDs findings

Introduction cont... Lessons learned Economic activities Water use and management Adoption to Irrigation technologies and gender Institutions and gender transformation

Contribution The lessons learnt provide opportunity to understand further The linkage between gendered economic activities and water use in community studied How water management practises affect gender ????? Gendered aspects which affect adoption to Irrigation technologies

Main economic activities Agriculture is the main economic activity with diversification from food crops and cash crops. There are spacial differences to what constitute food crops and cash crops. The economic activities were gendered as it was revealed that there is existing of authority and responsibilities in some of economic activities.

Main economic activities "There are these petty crops like sweet potatoes and cowpeas…those ones I have no control over them because a woman can sell without my knowledge and I will never ask even if she chooses not to tell me since it’s a small amount of money“ Household dynamics as well as existence of different social groups and cultural aspects are also interlinked with economic condition for men and women

Water use and management There are existing of multiple uses of water e.g. domestic purpose. Other uses are associated with agriculture, livestock keeping and business. The uses are gendered and women tend to associate most of their roles and responsibilities Agriculture being the main economic activity in communities (both under rain fed and irrigation) Women were mostly engaged in micro-level irrigation practices using drip kits, watering cans, & some traditional tools/technologies.

Water use and management Cont... Women are being excluded from potential irrigated land due to constraining in land acquisition arrangements, cannot take part in water management particularly during night irrigating schedules because of their gender position. The contributing factors being access to land, water, labor and authority in decision making There are also gender differences in crop preferences between men and women. Women = leafy vegetables; Men = tomatoes & onions.

Water use and management Cont... All water uses tend to concentrate on reliable source(s) available in communities. Thus there are succumb for water with multiple uses. This also differs with seasonality (Rain vs dry season) The existing water supply management to a large extent is managed traditionally with exceptional to some areas with improved irrigation schemes (e.g. Mkindo). However the existing water management system are not gendered and thus tend to exclude women…..

Mawemairo Irrigation scheme - Mkindo

Adoption to Irrigation technologies The introduced interventions have been adopted in the communities. Interventions led the following realization: Cultural transformation on the use of vegetables Improved food diversity and nutrition Increased food availability i.e. vegetables and other crops Improved income and purchasing power (esp women) Improved income and decision making Improve income and diversification to other non farm activities

Factors influencing adoption Multiplier effect have been observed through individuals learning from initial beneficiaries of the interventions Access to land due to some cultural aspects and conflicts among key stakeholders “Land is the key. You may hire a land and put manure but at the end of the day the owner tells you I want it back because I want to cultivate it, so you leave all the profit down there…you go and get another plot yet the same thing happens again. That is very challenging to us”

Communication Center at Muriti Resource Centre has been centre for proving and sharing of different information which emerge from different sectors within and outside the community.

Factors influencing adoption Cost associated with technology. This has been related with time consumption, workload, cost of acquiring the machine/tools and the technical how Perception of irrigators by the community is intertwined as some view irrigators in a positive way and other in a negative way. However, majority view them in a positive manner with attributes like; improved living condition, access to food, wealth accumulated, generally well off.

Institutions and gender transformation There are institutions which have played greater role in community transformation. Just to mention some few aspects which have been realized ; Raise of awareness on humanitarian rights Access of financial recourses Sharing of household responsibilities Example of this institutions are SUA, Feed the Future, IFAD, Gvt, Mkindo, HKI……

Conclusion & Recommendations Water is still a critical challenge in development of the studied communities. People have less choice when it comes to water availability, cleanliness and safety. Gender disparities in the studied communities are still very strong especially in roles and responsibilities and decision-making processes. Patriarchy system plays very influential role in implementation of day-to-day activities and technology adoption.

Conclusion cont… This call for the gender mainstreaming whenever projects are designed by involving all gender related aspects while constructively accommodate their culture & norms Communities are impressed with the newly introduced irrigation technologies such as drip kits and watering cans despite minor challenges.

Hence there is a potential for up scaling and improve the existing technologies to make them more reliable and gendered.

Asanteni sana!!