Probing indigenous approaches: gender and water management practices in selected rural settlements of Ondo State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Water is a critical requisite for household livelihoods and for safeguarding the health and hygiene of family members among the rural dwellers in Africa. Women in villages across Ondo state, one of the southwestern states of Nigeria, adopt various indigenous methods in rural water management to make water potable and available for their households. However, knowledge around gendered indigenous/rural water management among rural dwellers is still under represented and provides the rationale for this study. A sequential mixed methodology approach was undertaken, using quantitative and qualitative methods. An explanatory design was used to document the different indigenous materials and approaches in local water management, explore the impact of gender awareness on Indigenous Water Management (IWM) practices, identify the effects of gender stereotypes on IWM practices and to evaluate the impact of women’s participation in local water management. The study draws from a Feminist framework and gender-based participatory paradigms. Significant findings from the study identified the various perceptions that reinforced gender stereotypes with respect to the participation of women in rural water management in Ondo state. Further findings reveal how masculine hegemony, under the guise of culture and religion, strengthened male dominance in rural water management and female subordination. Various indigenous approaches have contributed to meeting women’s practical needs based on their traditional roles. It is, however, recommended that loan facilities are made available to the women as well as adult literacy programmes. Finally, channelling water from surrounding rivers by pipe into every street could contribute significantly to improving the lives of women.