Case study: DRC

Promoting gender equality in WASH programmes

Context
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and shoulder the largest burden in water collection. In DRC, gender based violence has been pervasive throughout the war and even in areas not affected by conflict, women are at high risk of rape during water collection and open defecation.
CAFOD’s partner Centre Olame is bridging the links between all three matched fund themes of water, gender and advocacy, as part of the Water and Gender programme. The decision to promote gender equality within WASH programmes was made strategically by CAFOD when the opportunity to access institutional funds arose. As a result, gender capacity building has been provided to the WASH partners, raising awareness amongst traditionally technical sector staff.
Centre Olame is a sector Diocesan Development Office in the Diocese of Bukavu, eastern DRC, and a renowned women’s organisation. Based on their experience they have been playing a key role in supporting other WASH partners in the country to incorporate gender into programmes.
Centre Olame’s WASH project works on improving latrines in schools, as the lack of single-gender sanitation facilities in schools results in low levels of attendance among girls, perpetuating cycles of gender inequality and poverty. The projectlinks water aspects with women’s economic empowerment through the formation of women’s self-help groups.

Project impact

Through the development of the WASH programme Centre Olame provides loans through a network of women’s associations in Idjwi and Kaniola. The success of the loan fund reduced barriers to credit from formal lending institutions and increased investment in water and sanitation facilities. The project also improved women’s skills in gardening as they developed nurseries and communal vegetable gardens in the neighbourhood.

Centre Olame provided $500 start up money for each woman’s association (8 in total). Using the money, the women identified and set up income generating activities such as selling cooking oil and making soap, which has benefited them at a household and community level. One of the associations recently used some of the income from their activities to pay bills for vulnerable and poor people in hospital.

The provision of water points has meant that households can now access just behind their houses instead of having to walk over 1km.

The women were trained on decentralisation policy and on water management. This helped them understand that the local government was responsible for the provision of water and that they could demand it as a UN and nationally recognised human right. Before the training the women were not confident enough to speak in front of the authorities, but as a result of the project, they are now actively participating in water use committees and able to advocate for water rights with local government. They monitor water points and report any breakdowns to the local authorities, as well as mobilising communities to make financial contributions towards fixing facilities.They are speaking up more in their families, communities and as a group. They feel that other women are following their example and people are now coming to them for support.

Results from this project have shown that a targeted women’s empowerment approach can be successfully applied to the water and sanitation sector and there is strong support to continue the project.

CAFOD staff have found it effective to use WASH as an entry point for talking about gender equality. Technical advisors have recommended that vulnerability assessments should take into account the risks of gender based violence in all projects and water projects should continue to target participation and empowerment of women.