Inclusion of Gender in the Management of Water Resources in Rural African Communities

With the increasing number of water project failures on the African continent, global water concerns have shifted from pure access to sustainable access. Water is vital to rural communities because of household and agricultural needs. Rural communities are most apt to sustain resources through collaboration. But there needs to be greater depth in these collective social processes. Gender roles form the foundation for power dynamics, where men dominate. However, women are affected the most by water factors because they are the primary water procurers. Yet men dominate community level decision-making capacities. Therefore men control the resources. A disregard for women\u27s assets and contributions leads to gaps in water resource management. This study integrates theories of collective action, social capital, gender roles and voice to illustrate the inclusive of gender can improve water resource management in rural communities