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Unravelling gendered practices in the public water sector in Nepal

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  • Shrestha, Gitta
  • Clement, Floriane

Abstract

Despite decades of gender mainstreaming in the water sector, a wide gap between policy commitments and outcomes remains. This study aims at offering a fresh perspective on such policy gaps, by analysing how gendered discourses, institutions and professional culture contribute to policy gaps. We rely on a conceptual framework originally developed for analysing strategic change, which is used to analyse gender in the public water sector in Nepal. Our analysis relies on a review of national water policies and a series of semi-structured interviews with male and female water professionals from several public agencies. Our findings evidence how dominant discourses, formal rules and professional culture intersect to support and reproduce hegemonic masculine attitudes and practices of water professionals. Such attitudes and practices in turn favour a technocratic implementation of policy measures. We argue that gender equality policy initiatives in the water sector have overly focused on local level formal institutions and have not adequately considered the effects of masculine discourses, norms and culture to be effective in making progress towards gender equity. We conclude with policy recommendations.

Suggested Citation

  • Shrestha, Gitta & Clement, Floriane, 2019. "Unravelling gendered practices in the public water sector in Nepal," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 21(5):1017-.
    • Handle: RePEc:iwt:jounls:h049394
    DOI: 10.2166/wp.2019.238
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    Cited by:

    1. Leder, S. & Shrestha, Gitta & Das, D., . "Transformative engagements with gender relations in agriculture and water governance," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 5(1):128-15.
    2. Leder, S. & Shrestha, Gitta & Upadhyaya, R. & Adhikari, Y., 2022. "COVID-19, gender, and small-scale farming in Nepal," IWMI Books, Reports H050956, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Biljana Macura & Laura Del Duca & Adriana Soto & Naomi Carrard & Louisa Gosling & Karin Hannes & James Thomas & Lewnida Sara & Marni Sommer & Hugh S. Waddington & Sarah Dickin, 2021. "PROTOCOL: What is the impact of complex WASH interventions on gender and social equality outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income countries? A mixed‐method systematic review protocol," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(2), June.
    4. Pandey, Vishnu Prasad & Shrestha, Nirman & Urfels, Anton & Ray, Anupama & Khadka, Manohara & Pavelic, Paul & McDonald, Andrew J. & Krupnik, Timothy J., 2023. "Implementing conjunctive management of water resources for irrigation development: A framework applied to the Southern Plain of Western Nepal," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    5. Suhardiman, Diana & Raut, Manita & Pradhan, P. & Meinzen-Dick, R., 2023. "Irrigation systems management in Nepal: women’s strategies in response to migration-induced challenges," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 16(1):1-21..
    6. Buisson, Marie-Charlotte & Clement, Floriane & Leder, Stephanie, 2021. "Women's Empowerment and the Will to Change," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315352, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

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