Are policies enough to mainstream Gender in water and sanitation programs? Experiences from community managed drinking water supply schemes in India

This paper attempts to understand the efforts required in translating policies into practice to mainstream gender in implementing water and sanitation programs. The analysis is based on the data collected from  community water plus project using 20 case studies from India on how women are being integrated and how they are performing in their roles as planners, implementers and managers. The findings reveal that in a majority of the case studies women are still being discriminated on the basis of sex, caste, disability, social, economic, and political status. However, if there are intentional and designed efforts by programs backed up by relevant policy then it is possible to achieve gender balance. Evidences from the case studies reveal that given an opportunity, women can manage water supply programs successfully at par with men overcoming barriers, be it is technical, administrative, or financial. Case studies also reveal that to demonstrate success there has to be an intensive and continuous support from both Government and Non Government organizations through continuous trainings and hand holding support. It is evident that the mere presence of policies might earn a membership for women in local bodies, but they will not be able to perform their roles effectively unless they are being trained and mentored continuously. Though the paper does not have specific data on integrating persons with disabilities but field observations and focused group discussions bring out that the strategies for integrating women could also be applied and adopted for integrating persons with disabilities and the elderly into mainstream programs with special provisions and specialized professional support. Finally, it can be concluded that if the implementing organizations ensure an enabling environment supported by policy with clear guidelines, then it is certain that gender equity and inclusion can be attained for creating a just society.