Towards Empowerment: Women Mobilizers in the Community Water Supply and Sanitation Programme in Nepal

Mahapatra, Dr. Krishna (1996)
In: Waterfront, issue 9, p. 12-13, 18-19

This article tells the story of Phoolmati Rajbanshi living in a small village in the Jhapa district in the Eastern Development Region of Nepal and the new confidence she has developed due to the recognition of her capabilities as a Sanitation Motivator of her ward. She coordinates the sanitation activities of 44 sevikas (women volunteers) attached to some 22-23 tap-stands in 160 households in the ward. Her duties as motivator include interacting with other women; disseminating and promoting messages to improve hygiene and sanitation; conducting cluster meetings in which women assess and find solutions to problems associated with health and hygiene; and recording gradual improvements in hygiene and sanitation, behavioural practices, construction, adoption and maintenance of facilities in households to be passed on to a Women Worker from the District Sanitation Cell.

Phoolmati Rajbanshi is participating in a new UNICEF sponsored water supply and environmental sanitation programme in which women, for the first time, were consulted and involved in a programme dominated by men's decisions, in spite of it being a women's domain. Phoolmati has had the new experiences of participating in meetings along with men, expressing her opinion and seeking other women's opinions on issues that are important and within her capacity to improve, participating in training programmes and learning about disease transmission, and travelling to other villages on exchange visits. Now Phoolmati runs an adult literacy class in her community, and manages with a revolving fund the manufacture of rings and platforms required for constructing latrines. She is a trend-setter in her village. Her personality, mind and thoughts are developing through this opportunity and the remuneration from her endeavours supplements her family income. As members of user's committees and as sanitation volunteers and motivators, women like Phoolmati find forums in which to interact and express their views and are trained in programme process and technology.

Currently, in the UNICEF supported CWSS programme, the 33 districts of the Hills and Terai of Eastern and Central Development Regions of Nepal have 120 sanitation women workers, 618 sanitation motivators and 7,981 sevikas reaching more than 150,923 households and women regularly. The CWSS programme recognizes and ensures women's participation through institutionalization of their roles in planning, site and design selection, sanitation promotion, monitoring and evaluation. Systematic studies have confirmed the success of WES programmes with women's active involvement, showing considerable improvement in both the awareness level and sanitation and hygiene behavioural practices, such as washing of hands by mothers, storage and handling of drinking water, personal hygiene, maintenance of water points and construction and use of latrines. In Nepal, a predominantly male dominated society, where women have low status and position, these changes in women's roles and responsibilities through the CWSS programme represent a dramatic leap towards the empowerment of women and towards equality between men and women.