1. Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP)
How to Mainstream
Gender Equality in
ProjectsProjects
Water Resource Management
MODULE 4
Water Resource ManagementWater Resource Management

2. Introduction to the Module
These modules are for government staff of the ministries and departments related to
Environmental Protection, Environment, Science and Technology, Food and Agriculture,
Gender, Children and Social Protection; District staff, planners and Gender Desk Officers;
NGOs, CBOs, women's groups and community leaders.
The modules cover each of the six themes of the Ghana Environmental Management Project:
Module 1: Land use and soil management
Module 2: Wildlife and biodiversity conservation
Module 3: Energy resource management
Module 4: Water resource management
Module 5: Management of vegetative cover
Module 6: Alternative and sustainable livelihoods.
Contents
Introduction to the Module....................................................................................................................2
Gender and Water Resource Management............................................................................................4
1. Problem Identification ................................................................................................................4
Gender Issues ..................................................................................................................................4
2. Project Design .............................................................................................................................6
Project Logic Model: Gender and water resource management..................................................7
3. Project Implementation..............................................................................................................8
Case Study 1: The Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary– A Vegetation Restoration Project with Water
Conservation and Ecotourism Benefits ...........................................................................................9
4. Project Monitoring....................................................................................................................12
Indicators......................................................................................................................................13
5. Project Evaluation.....................................................................................................................13
Monitoring and Evaluation Tools..................................................................................................13
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3. Despite many agencies' commitment to gender equality, gender mainstreaming in project cycle
management has been limited. Some pay attention to gender during Problem Identification, and
at certain points of the Design and Monitoring phases. To truly mainstream gender in sustainable
land management projects, each phase of the project cycle needs to be linked with appropriate
genderanalysistoolsandkeygenderquestions.
Eachmodulecontainsadviceonhow tomainstreamgenderthroughtheprojectcycle:
1. ProblemIdentification
2. ProjectDesign
3. ProjectImplementation
4. ProjectMonitoring
5. ProjectEvaluation
You can use these materials to assist you to go through the planning cycle with staff, district stakeholders
and communities to ensure that the gender issues of inequity are really being addressed by interventions
for gender and sustainable land management. Each section contains key questions and examples to assist
youtodesign,implementandmonitorgender-sensitiveprojectswithstakeholdersandcommunities.
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4. GenderandWaterResourceManagement
Problem identification involves understanding the problems, needs and opportunities related to
gender and sustainable land management. It should take into consideration environmental policy,
current technologies, ways of working with communities, and considerations for transforming
existinggenderrelationsofpowerandcontrol.
When you are identifying a problem related to gender and sustainable land management, answer
thefollowingquestionstoensurethatgenderequalityis mainstreamed.
1. Has relevant gender information, especially socio‐economic information, been identified
andcollectedso thatitcanbeincludedindiscussions aboutprojectdesign?
2. Is background data disaggregated by sex? (In many cases, disaggregation by other social
identities such as age and ethnic origin is also required, given that communities are rarely
homogeneousunits.)
3. Have gender specialists (in the CBO or NGO, for example) and representatives of
women's organizationswithinthecommunitybeenconsulted?
4. Have both men and women been involved in problem identification (even if the ultimate
problemrecognizedaffectsonesex morethantheother)?
Here is a list of some of the issues of gender inequity (gender issues) related to water resource
management:
1. Women's health and productivity and that of their families is adversely affected by long
distancesoftraveltofindwater
2. Inadequate access to potable water and lack of storage facilities has negative implications
forwomen's productiveactivities.
3. Socio-cultural role expectations of both women and men place the burden for water
resourcesmanagementonwomen
4. Exclusion of women in access to, control over and in decision making in the allocation of
irrigable lands forces women to till distant lands, which often result in low yields and low
incomes
The following is a short description of the major gender issues of inequity related to water
resourcemanagement:
Water is a valuable resource and preserves the sustainability and vitality of diverse ecosystems
around the world, however, the management of water is becoming increasingly important as
water resources are growing scarcer. Only 3% of the planet's water is freshwater and available for
humanuse.
In the three northern regions, many traditional rural water sources have become contaminated as a
result of human activities, animal waste and agricultural runoff; others have been desiccated as a
result of deforestation and siltation. Women and children therefore walk long distances to secure
cleanwater,especiallyduringthedryseason.
1. ProblemIdentification
GenderIssues
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5. Inadequate water access and long trekking distance affect the women's involvement in crop and
livestock production. Most of the women harvest rain water during the rainy season; this is
however impeded by the type of roofing for their buildings and lack of storage containers. The
inadequacy in water resource use and management eventually impacts on women's health and
thatoftheirfamilies.
It is evident that prevailing cultural role expectations for both men and women can have critical
importance in determining their attitudes toward water use and management. The women are
more interested in securing water for household activities. Both women and men are involved in
dry season farming (mostly vegetables) along the river banks; the women participate in this
activitybecauseoftheproximityofwaterforirrigationandthehighercashincomes.
The control and decision regarding the scheduling of irrigation water tend to be without the
consideration for women's productive and reproductive activities, inthat the irrigation plots are
farther away from the settlements. Most of these irrigable plots exclusively belong to the men and
fewwomenbelongedtoirrigationschemes.
The promotion of irrigation facilities for food crop production would support women to enhance
their livelihoods and empower them economically. Improve access to domestic water sources
(rain harvesting, boreholes), would impact positively on the health of women and children, men
andtheyouth.
During the long dry season, the lack of water for irrigation compels the men and youth to migrate
to urban areas to seek alternative employment. Considering the reproductive role of the women,
mostofthefemalefarmershavenochoicebuttostaybehindandengageindryseasonfarming.
An excerpt from: Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Drought and
Desertification in the three Northern Regions of Ghana (GESAP), developed in 2011 by the
Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the Ghana Environmental Management
Project.
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6. 2. ProjectDesign
Within the framework given by your agency or organization, or sometimes by your funder's request, you
will need to identify objectives and the activities that will enable you to achieve expected results. The
Project Design stage is the most important when it comes to integrating the gender dimension into the
project. You can apply all the information obtained from your gender analysis in order to plan based on
realinformationconcerningthelivesofthemaleandfemalebeneficiaries.
When you are choosing expected results and activities for your project, answer the following questions to
ensurethatgenderequalityis mainstreamed.
1. Whatisthecurrentsituationofmenandwomenintheareaofyourplannedintervention?
2. Willtheproposed projectcontributetoexistinginequalitiesamongmenandwomen?
3. Does theproposed projectbreakdown orchallengeexistinginequalitiesamongmenandwomen?
4. Will the proposed project change the perceptions or stereotypes about men and women and their
rolesinanyway?
5. Whatoptionsshould beconsideredtostrengthenagenderperspective?
6. Will the proposed project contribute to women's empowerment? If not, is there place for an allied
interventionthatwill contributeto empowerment,so as not to reinforcethe disparity betweenmen
andwomen?
Once you have decided on all the expected results and activities for your project, you can summarize them
inaLogicModel:
· The Ultimate Outcome is the overall goal of the project, which contributes to national-level aims
andpolicies.
· The Intermediate Outcomes are the expected results related to changes in your organization or
group, anditssystems orprocesses.
· The Immediate Outcomes are the expected results related to changes in individuals, their
knowledgeandawareness,skillsorabilities,or access.
· Outputs (or completedactivities)leadtooutcomes.
Therefore it is important that you implement your activities as planned, based on gender analysis. If you
do, you willcertainlyachieveyourexpectedresults.
The expected results and activities listed in the logic model below are examples for you. Depending on
the funds you have, you may want to implement only a few of the activities represented in this Logic
Model.
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7. Project Logic Model: Gender and water resource management
Theme WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Ultimate
Outcome
Strengthened mainstreaming of gender considerations in issues relating to
community-based activities necessary for the reduction and reversing of land
degradation and desertification. Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Intermediate
Outcomes
Improved women’s
livelihoods through
access to fertile
agricultural lands
Increased women’s participation in decision making
on land and water management in communities
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Immediate
Outcomes
Improved women
access to domestic and
agricultural water and
ready markets for their
farm produce.
Increased knowledge and
understanding of
community on the
importance of challenging
traditional gender roles
Enhanced lobbying and
negotiations skills of
women in the allocation
and access to irrigable
lands
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Type of
Activities to be
implemented
in order to
achieve results
Boreholes, hand-dug
wells and rain
harvesting facilities
constructed for
households
Women trained on
new rain water
harvesting
technologies and the
operation of and
maintenance of
boreholes
Donkeys and carts
provided for the
transportation of
water
Women trained to
care for and maintain
donkeys and carts
Dams and dug-outs
constructed for dry
season farming for
women
Improving dry season
farming – provision
of water hose and
pumps to enhance
irrigation
Community members
educated on adverse
cultural norms
perpetuating gender
inequities through
radio discussions and
workshops
Dramas in
communities staged on
the importance of
sharing household
tasks by girls and boys
at the family and
community level
Formation of water
and sanitation
committee (gender
balanced)
Women trained in
negotiation and
lobbying skills in
order for them to
negotiate for better
land for women
Land Allocation
committees formed
under the irrigation
schemes with
women well
represented
Women trained in
negotiation and
lobbying skills in
order for them to
negotiate for
favorable irrigation
water scheduling
for women
Irrigation water
scheduling
committees formed
under the irrigation
schemes with
women well
represented
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
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8. Construct bore holes
and hand dug out
wells in the
community
Train men and
women on the
maintenance of bore
holes
Aquaculture farming
for both men and
women
Re-vegetation of
water bodies
Education and
sensitization of the
community - both
men and women on
the proper use and
handling of agro-
chemicals
·
·
·
·
·
3. Project Implementation
Implementation is the major phase in the project cycle, when plans are transformed into
reality. Implementation involves using your resources to implement activities in order
toachieve the expected results.
When you are implementing the activities for your project, answer the following questions to
ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed.
1. Arewomenandmenbenefitingfromtheproject? Inthesamewayordifferentways?
2. Aresomewomenormennegativelyimpactedbytheproject?
3. Have gender relations (power and control) of women and men changed as a result of the
project?Havegendergapsbeenreduced?
4. Arenewgenderissues ofinequityemergingwithintheproject?
5. Are there new external factors affecting gender relations besides the project? Are they
positiveornegative?
6. Are women and men both supportive of the project, or do they wish to change it? Who? Why?
How?
Capacity of women
on dry season
gardening built
Women farmers
linked to markets
·
·
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9. What follows are some case studies about project activities. Ideally, it would be great if your staff
and stakeholders, including community members, could visit the communities described in the
stories. However,thesecasestudiesarethenextbestthingtovisiting.
Eachcasestudyshows how womenandmenare:
· participatingintheproject
· sharingprojectresources
· sharingprojectbenefits
· changingtheirlivestogether
· experiencingempowerment.
After each story, there are a number of questions to answer. Read (or translate) the story to your
staff, stakeholders or community members. Lead the discussion based on the questions listed
after the story. This will assist your staff and stakeholders to visualize the types of changes that
they should expect, and allow them to discuss the implications for their own work and lives. They
may want to implement a similar project. Similarly, their discussion of the story may inspire them
withnewideasfortheirown projects.
Your staff and stakeholders should understand that exciting things related to gender and
sustainable land management are happening in northern Ghana. They too can be part of it! They
cantransformgenderrelationsthroughsustainablelandmanagementprojects!
Talewona isone of twenty communities situated along the Black Volta River in the Wa West
District. Before the late 1990s, bushfires, farming and tree felling for charcoal production went
on unchecked. These caused depletion of vegetative cover within the watershed resulting in
severe erosion and sedimentation of the riverbed. The river overflowed its banks during the rainy
season and washed away crops such as maize, millet and sorghum that were cultivated close to the
river. In the dry season, fish catchesbecame very low because the volume of water dwindled,
exposing parts of the river bed and reducing the supply of plankton, the microorganisms on which
fishfeed.
In 1996, communities along the riverbank spotted hippopotamusesor hippos in the Black Volta
River.Information about this discoveryprompted the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) to
initiate action on eco-tourism development as a strategy for water resource management. In
1998, the EPAdeveloped a proposal for theWechiauTraditionalAuthorityto protect the habitat of
the hippos. Itwas submitted to the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC). In the
same year, the Traditional Authority received funding from the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada.
Using the core or buffer zone concept developed by NGOs, the Wechiau Traditional Authority
organized 22 communities to create a 42km buffer zone along the Black Volta Riverin Wa West
District, stretching from Mwalayire to the north and Dochire to the south. This area became the
WechiauHippoSanctuary.
Case Study 1: The Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary – A Vegetation Restoration Project with
WaterConservationandEcotourismBenefits
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10. However, the TraditionalAuthority could not enforce the core zone concept. Communities living
within the core zone initially resisted appeals by the Traditional Authority for them to resettle in
the development zone. Farming, hunting and tree felling for charcoal production continued in the
core zone until 2003 when the EPA,in collaboration with the Wechiau Traditional Council, the
RCC and the Police, monitored the core zone, sensitized the communities on the project and
arrested some of the people who continued living and farming there. Those arrested were
cautioned,promptingthesettlerstomoveouttoresettleinthedevelopmentzone.
In recognition of the wildlife in the area, the Wildlife Division elevated the Wechiau area to the
status of a Community Resource Management Area (CREMA)in 2011. It had the
responsibilitytomanagethewildlifeandvegetativecoverwithinthecorezone.
Under the Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP), the EPA, through the Regional
Environmental Management Committee (REMC) and the Wa West DistrictEnvironmental
Management Committee (DEMC) formed a 13-member Community Environmental
Management Committee (CEMC) consisting of 6 women and 7 men, and a 20- member anti-
bushfire volunteer squad consisting of 11 men and 9 women. These community level committees
organizedmen and women in the community to create fire belts, and monitor and control fires in
the core zone of the sanctuary. The Talewona community was sensitized on water resource
management issues and alternative livelihoods. Women were trained in shea butter processing
and supported with a shea butter processing machine, which was installed at Tokala which is
centrally located and is the traditional headquarters of the area. The two communities were
supported with improved breeds of sheep to enhance productivity of their stock. The Talewona
communityhas agreedonrulesandregulationstoprotectthebufferzonefrombushfires.
As part of activities organized to mark the 2011 World Day to Combat Desertification and
Drought, the EPA supported the Talewona community to plant and nurture 5000 mahogany tree
seedlingstoenrichthetreecover.Thesurvivalrateoftheseedlingsisveryhigh.
With the assistance of fishermen, a census conducted in 2011 by the Ghana Tourist Board in
collaboration with the EPA, the Wa West District Assembly and the Wechiau Traditional
Authorityrecordedthattherewere35hippos,comparedto18recordedin2005.
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11. To ensure sustainability and motivate the communities, the EPAhas collaborated with the Ghana
Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) to carry out enrichment tree planting and bushfire control.
Under the GSOP, men and women are paid to plant and water tree seedlings in the buffer zone and
makefirebeltsarounditduringthedryseasontocontrolbushfires.
Several benefits are being derived from restoration of the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary. Vegetative
cover has increased within the 42 km core zone of the BlackVolta River watershed.Water is being
conserved in the river. The population of hippos in the river has increased and attracted tourist
who no longer travel long distances to spot hippos. Tourism has become a source of income for
men and women at Talewona. Men are employed as tour guides while women sell fish to tourists
becausefishcatcheshaveincreased.
Also, through GEMP support, women in the two communities now have access to a corn millfor
shea butter processing, which has a large market both locally and internationally. They also rear
improved breeds of sheep, which have a higher market value than local ones. The communities
now seetheWechiauHippoSanctuaryas theirown.
Questions forDiscussion:
The establishment of the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary disrupted the lives of women and men living
in the buffer or core zone. They had to do their farming and other activities outside of the zone in
ordertoconservethewaterhabitat,so thatthehipposandvegetativecovercouldthrive.
1. Why do you think that the women and men of the 22 communities were resistant to the idea
of a buffer zone? What would a move out of the buffer zone mean for the roles,
responsibilitiesanddailyactivitiesofbothmenandwomen?
2. Once they cooperated with authorities and moved outside of the buffer zone, in what types
of new livelihood activities did women and men engage? How do you think these new
activitieschangedtheirtraditionalrolesandresponsibilities?
3. Women and men also became sensitized and involved in water conservation activities?
What were they? What tasks did women do? What tasks did men do? What new skills did
theylearn?
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12. 4. The end of the story says that communities now see the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary as their
own. How do you think women and men worked together to make the community reserve
asuccess?
5. In the end, women and men became engaged in several new activities: new livelihood
activities outside of the buffer zone, and new conservation and ecotourism activities inside
the buffer zone. Do gender roles and responsibilities change when men and women work
together for land and water resource management? If yes, how? Is this a positive
developmentforcommunities? Why?
The progress of a project has to be monitored to ensure that the expected results are happening.
Think about some of the changes you read about in the case studies and in your own
projects.Many of the changes are related to the environment and, at the same time, related to
gender.
An important way of monitoring whether a project has mainstreamed gender and transformed
gender relations is to use gender-sensitive indicators. Gender-sensitive indicators will let you
know whether there are changes in gender relations – women's and men's dynamics of power and
control. Here are some features of gender relations that should change after implementing a
projectongenderandsustainablelanduse:
· participationinprojectsandcommittees
· awareness,knowledge,skills
· decision-makingpowers
· rolesandresponsibilitiesinthehousehold,communityandleadership
· how roles,tasks,resourcesarevalued
· accesstoandcontrolofprojectresourcesandbenefits
· accesstoandcontrolofhouseholdandcommunityresourcesandbenefits.
All this information should be sex-disaggregated, so that differences between men and women
can be highlighted and inequities addressed. Sex-disaggregated data presents information
separatelyforwomenandmen,andasrequired,boys andgirls.
When you are monitoring a project, answer the following questions to ensure that gender equality
ismainstreamed.
1. Does themonitoringplaninviteinputandfeedbackfromwomenandmen?
2. Aregenerateddata,analysisandreportssex-disaggregated?
3. Aregenderindicatorseffectivelyusedandassessed?
4. Does monitoring consider both women's and men's roles (even if those roles are
different)?
5. Is progress towardobjectivesandexpectedresultsrelatedtomenorwomenontrack?
6. Have any gender issues of inequity arisen that were not identified at the project design
stage? If so, how cantheybeaddressed?
4. ProjectMonitoring
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13. Indicators
Here are some examples of gender-sensitive indicators for gender and water resource
management. You can use these and others that you develop to assess whether your project is on
tracktochanginggenderrelations,roles,responsibilitiesandhow theyarevalued.
Gender-sensitive indicators for Gender and Water Resource Management
1. # of domestic and agricultural water sources available to women
2. time spent by women for fetching water
3. #of women having access to irrigable lands
4. # of women serving in the water management committee
5. # of women in leadership positions on committees
6. #of functional land allocation committees with high level of women participation
7. % increase in yields from women’s farms
8. % increase in sales of farm produce of women
9. income from women’s sale of farm produce
10. % increase in women’s income levels
11. agro-chemical-related ailments recorded
12. #of families in which boys and girls share gender roles
13. # of children (boys and girls) willing to share gender roles
5. ProjectEvaluation
MonitoringandEvaluationTools
At the end of your project, you will want to evaluate whether it has been successful – in achieving
its goals for sustainable land use, and toward gender equality. Evaluation should be as systematic
and objective as possible. Therefore, tools are developed to collect gender-sensitive and sex-
disaggregated data. These tools can be used at the end of the project, but also at the beginning
(baseline)andmid-pointtoassess progress overtime.
Here are some examples of gender-sensitive tools for gender and water resource management. If
you use these tools at the beginning, middle and end of your project, you will see changes in how
men and women have access to and control over resources; and in their roles and responsibilities.
You may also discover some changes in gender relations that you did not expect! You should
determine whether these are positive and progressive changes, or negative and counter-
productive. When it comes time to designing a new phase of your project or even a brand new
project, take these lessons into account to ensure that your project will implement all activities
necessarytopromotegenderequality.
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14. Questions Men Boys Women Girls
1. Who is involved in the fetching of water for the
household?
2. Who spends the most time searching for water?
3. Who uses more water in the household?
4. Who uses new water harvesting technology
more?
5. Who does water related diseases affect more?
A. Household survey questions
B. Focusgroup interviewquestions with women involvedintheproject
1. How do you feel about the time you have available for household chores? Have there been
any changes in the amount of time that you have spent on household chores? What is the
reason? Are thechangesbetterforyou?
2. How much time do you have available for alternative economic activities? If you have
time,whataresomeofthebenefitsoftheseactivities?
3. What do you think about men and boys being involved in water fetching? Do you think
theyarecomfortablewiththistask?Whyorwhy not?
4. Do you think women should be involved in decision making concerning water resources?
If so, what are some of the benefits of women's involvement? Are there any people who
feel that women should not be involved in decision-making about community resources?
If so, why? Whatcanyoudotochangetheirviews?
5. What specific contributions, whether ideas or decisions, have women made in the
WATSAN committee?What has been the response of the committee? Have some of
women's ideasbeenimplemented? Whichones? Whatwas theresult?
C. Focusgroup interviewquestions with meninvolvedintheproject
1. Now that you have water available all year round, how has it changed your life and the life
ofyourfamily?
2. What do you think about the use of chemicals for fishing? Do you think that people
understand the implications of its use? Have there been any changes in this practice? If
yes,why?
3. What do you think about women's involvement in decision making pertaining to irrigation
water scheduling in the community? Are women's ideas different from men's? Why do
youthinkthisisso? Is women's involvementbeneficialtomen? Whyorwhy not?
4. What do you think about women having donkey carts to assist in fetching water?Has it
helped you in any way? Have you done anything to help women manage the donkey
carts?
5. Do you think there has been an improvement in income levels of families in the
community? If yes, why do you think this is so? What roles have both men and women
playedtobringaboutthisimprovement?
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15. D. Group interviewwith CEMC executives
1. How manymenandhow manywomenareontheCEMC?
2. How manywomenareexecutives?
3. WhataretheyrolesofwomenintheCEMC?
4. Whatinitiativeshavewomentaken?
5. Whatwomen's issues areaddressedattheCEMClevel?
6. How arewomeninvolvedinthemaintenanceoftheborehole?
E. Observationguideattheprojectsite(listofwhat tolookfor)
1. Is thewatermanagementfacilityservingitspurpose?
2. Is thewatermanagementfacilityusedandmaintained?
3. Aredonkeycartsused?
4. Areboys helpinginfetchingwater?
5. Arewomeninvolvedindryseasongardening?
6. Is theschedulingofirrigationfavorabletowomen?
7. Whatisthesurvivalrateofseedlingstransplanted?
8. Whatistheimprovementinvegetativecover?
9. Arepeoplefarmingawayfrombufferzone?
10.Is thereanyevidenceofburningaroundthearea?
This is the end of this module. Best wishes as you mainstream gender, empowering women and
meninsustainablelandmanagementprojects.
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