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Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.

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Main Author: Rust, Urszula Anna
Other Authors: Khan, Firoz
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2008
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access_status_str Open Access
author Rust, Urszula Anna
author2 Khan, Firoz
author_browse Khan, Firoz
Rust, Urszula Anna
author_facet Khan, Firoz
Rust, Urszula Anna
author_sort Rust, Urszula Anna
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
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institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
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license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2008
publishDateRange 2008
publishDateSort 2008
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
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spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2457 Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector Rust, Urszula Anna Khan, Firoz De Waal, Maretha University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Management and Planning. Women in rural development -- South Africa Social conditions of women -- South Africa Economic conditions of women -- South Africa Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning Rural water supply -- South Africa School of Public Management and Planning Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. Gender equality and access to basic water services are complexly interlinked objectives for both poverty alleviation and sustainable development. In South Africa, research shows that despite the emphasis on mainstreaming gender equality in the water services sector, (and the concomitant policies and structures) the lives of poor women in this sector are not substantively being transformed. This study was therefore aimed at deriving principles that would enhance the impact of gender mainstreaming in the water services sector, and at evaluating current South African guidelines according to these principles. The study was qualitative in nature, and both theoretical and empirical information was used to derive the above principles. The initial literature survey indicated a need for a systemic approach to gender mainstreaming in the water services sector. Therefore, theoretical information was principally obtained from literature on poverty, sustainable development, complexity theory, feminism and governance. Empirical information was obtained from three sources, namely (1) participant observation of the meetings of the Strategic Advisory Group on Gender of the Water Services Sector Leadership Group (WSSLG), (2) individual interviews with a range of stakeholders, and (3) focus group interviews with community members involved in six water services projects – three each in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga Provinces. The study resulted in a proposed framework of fourteen focus areas for gender mainstreaming in the water services sector. These focus areas, along with illustrative questions, are the following: (1) Policy premises and formulation (Is the policy premised on equity and poverty alleviation?) (2) Approach to gender mainstreaming (How is the 50/50 campaign being implemented?) (3) The role of the gender officials (Is the gender focal point part of the strategic management team?) (4) Co-operative governance (Are IDP officials and women’s organizations involved?) (5) Public participation (Is the public participation process adequately resourced?) (6) Advocacy and awareness raising (Do family gender relations feature in awareness raising initiatives?) (7) Access to basic services (Are women specifically targeted in service provision?) (8) HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence (What measures are in place to decrease the risk of disease?) (9) Economic empowerment (Are the employment opportunities created sustainable?) (10) Leadership by women (How is the leadership capacity of women being developed?) (11) Capacity development of women (Is the training aimed at portable skills?) (12) Project/programme management (What monitoring and evaluation processes are being used?) (13) Environmental sustainability (What measures are in place to conserve water and reduce pollution?) (14) Engaging with traditional culture (How are restrictive cultural traditions addressed?) When the above framework was applied to the WSSLG Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan (DWAF, 2005), the WSSLG strategy was in certain respects found to be non-responsive to the learning garnered in this study. Particularly, the WSSLG strategy neither adopts a poverty alleviation approach, nor addresses environmental sustainability and traditional culture. It also does not facilitate co-operative governance and programme management. Finally, gender inequality in the water services sector impedes both poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Systemic solutions are required, and these study results might be germane to these. Masters 2008-04-10T08:55:25Z 2010-06-01T08:49:15Z 2008-04-10T08:55:25Z 2010-06-01T08:49:15Z 2007-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2457 en University of Stellenbosch 35464792 bytes application/pdf application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle Women in rural development -- South Africa
Social conditions of women -- South Africa
Economic conditions of women -- South Africa
Dissertations -- Public management and planning
Theses -- Public management and planning
Rural water supply -- South Africa
School of Public Management and Planning
Rust, Urszula Anna
Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector
title Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector
title_full Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector
title_fullStr Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector
title_full_unstemmed Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector
title_short Principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the South African rural water services sector
title_sort principles for mainstreaming gender equality in the south african rural water services sector
topic Women in rural development -- South Africa
Social conditions of women -- South Africa
Economic conditions of women -- South Africa
Dissertations -- Public management and planning
Theses -- Public management and planning
Rural water supply -- South Africa
School of Public Management and Planning
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2457
work_keys_str_mv AT rusturszulaanna principlesformainstreaminggenderequalityinthesouthafricanruralwaterservicessector