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Women: Walking and Waiting for Water The Time Value of Public Water Supply

Author

Listed:
  • Elena Gross

    (Georg-August-University Göttingen)

  • Isabel Günther

    (ETH Zürich)

  • Youdi Schipper

    (VU University Amsterdam)

Abstract

Public funding of water supply infrastructure in developing countries is often justified by the expectation that the time spent on water collection significantly decreases, leading to increased labor force participation of women. In this study we empirically test this hypothesis by applying a difference-in-difference analysis to a sample of 2000 households in rural Benin where improved water supply was phased in over time. Time savings per day are rather modest at 35 minutes: even though walking distances are considerably reduced, women still spend a lot of time waiting at the water source. Moreover, a reduction in time to collect one water container induces women to collect a higher number of containers per day. Our results indicate that time savings are rarely followed by increased labor supply of women: men are the first to be freed from water fetching activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Gross & Isabel Günther & Youdi Schipper, 2013. "Women: Walking and Waiting for Water The Time Value of Public Water Supply," Courant Research Centre: Poverty, Equity and Growth - Discussion Papers 134, Courant Research Centre PEG.
    • Handle: RePEc:got:gotcrc:134
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    File URL: http://www2.vwl.wiso.uni-goettingen.de/courant-papers/CRC-PEG_DP_134.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Water Supply; Behavioral Change; Time Savings; Labor Supply; Gender Bias;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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