ADB Assisted Secondary Towns and Rural Community Based Water Supply and Sanitation Project

Gender and Water Supply in Sri Lanka

By M. K. Hapuarachchi
Project Director National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWS&DB)
The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

Project in Brief

Water Supply

: 969,000 beneficiaries

Sanitation

: 171,500 beneficiaries

Water sector Institutional Development through Public Awareness Project Cost : USD 263.26 million
(ADB contribution: USD149.1 m)

Implementing Agency : National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB)

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Project Locations
No.
01
02 03

Location
Batticaloa
Hambantota Muttur

Urban

Rural

04
05

Polonnaruwa
Anuradhapura

Urban Component
Approach

Outsourced design, construction supervision and implementation activities through competitive bidding Operations by NWS&DB
Hygiene and health education Sanitation programmes
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Urban Component - Water Supply Schemes

Key plan of Batticaloa Water Supply Scheme

Batticaloa Water Treatment Plant

Batticaloa Water Treatment Plant

Urban Component - Water Supply Schemes

Polonnaruwa Water Treatment Plant

Hambantota Water Treatment Plant

Hambantota, Muttur, Polonnaruwa Water Towers

Rural Component
Approach

Demand driven and community based

Level of poverty

Lack of water and sanitation facilities

Willingness to contribute minimum 20% of investment cost Agree to take O&M responsibility
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Implementation Mechanism of Rural Component

NWS&DB
Community Mobilization

Community

PO

Service Demand

Service Provide

Project

Community Empowerment (CBO)

Finance/Awareness/Training/ Assistance PMU TSU

PMU Project Management Unit TSU Technical Support Unit PSIU Pradeshiya Sabha Implementation Unit

PSI U

PO

Partner Organization

CBO Community Based Organization

Rural Component Water Supply & Sanitation Facilities

Option
Pipe schemes
Rain water tanks Private dug wells Common wells Tube wells Latrines

Quantity
134
3,026 4,549 79 101 18,297

Beneficiaries

320,500

98,200

Rural Component - Water Supply Schemes

Gender Development Programme

Vision
To ensure Women representation and active involvement in all phases of project for;
a)

Sustainable development of water & sanitation sector To increase gender equality in decision making process

b)

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Training and Capacity Building

Awareness programs on gender development by Partner Organizations Income generation programs

Identification of small scale industries Project contribution (LKR 20,000 as seed fund) Community contribution (minimum 50%) Revolving fund

Training on leadership, financial management, entrepreneurship development and marketing and management
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Gender Action Plan

1. Initial participatory social assessment
Identification of men and womens involvement in Village Development activities via baseline surveys and discussions with village leaders Facilitation & Implementation (F&I) by CDS (Community Development Specialist), SS (Senior Sociologist), PSIU Engineer

2. Form small groups of men & women

Use Participatory Representative Techniques (PRT) F & I by SS, PSIU Engineer, CDA (Community Development Assistant), PO, VCC (Village Coordination Committee)

3. Form Womens Associations

Use PRT & Select women leaders with the assistance of Women Bureau F & I by SS, PSIU Engineer, Women Bureau, CDA, PO/CF (Community Facilitator), VCC

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Gender Action Plan (contd.)

4. Training for men and women leaders
Conduct awareness meetings and training workshops Obtain assistance from relevant organizations; Small Industries Department F & I by SS, PSIU Engineer, Women Bureau, CDA, PO

5. Assess involvement of men & women

Quarterly assessment F & I by Sociologist, PSIU Engineer, CDA, PO

6. Income generation programmes

Training of persons on relevant skills Exploration of marketing facilities Identification of potential entrepreneurs Awareness on savings and credit facilities available F & I by Chief Engineer (TSU), PIU Sociologist, PSIU Engineer, CDA, PO
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Gender Action Plan (contd.)

7. Womens Associations (WA) FORUM for each Pradeshiya Sabha
Obtain assistance of Womens Bureau to bring together WA in each Pradeshiya Sabha area F & I by Chief Engineer (TSU), CDS, SS, CDA

8. Impact assessment
Surveys by N.G.O. using structured questionnaires and field observations Analysis of randomly selected CBOs on point source supply & pumping Scheme F & I by Chief Engineer (TSU), CDS, SS, CDA, Contracted Organizations

9. Corrective actions
Follow impact assessment Preparation of action plan for further development based on an analysis of issues using SWOT analysis F & I by Chief Engineer (TSU), CDS, SS, CDA

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Women Representation in the PMU & CBOs

Description
Professional & technical staff
(PMU,TSU,PSIU & POS)

Target %
25% 50%

Achievement %
27-63 % 25-50 %

CBO executive committee

Participatory representative members

CBO membership O&M officials (CBO)
PMU Project Management Unit CBO Community Based Organization PO Partner Organization

50%
50% 33%

50 %
25-54 % 30- 40 %

TSU Technical Support Unit PSIU Pradeshiya Sabha Implementation Unit O&M Operation & Maintenance 16

Women Participation through Community Organizations

Percentage of CBOs with Women Organizations 83% Households received project assistance

District

Women having memberships in WO

Income generation

Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa

42% 36%

58% 51%

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Activities Carried out by Women in Income Generation Programmes

Coir products Domestic sweets products Bricks making Rice processing Agriculture products Home gardening Making of spices Dress making Small boutiques Mobile merchantry
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Women Participation in Income Generation Activities

Handcraft

Women Participation in Income Generation Activities

Farming Crops

Floriculture

Women Oriented Awareness Programmes under Rural Component

Introducing 5-S Concept

Bank officials conducting programmes on savings practices

Women Participation in Construction Activities

Sand Sieving

Lessons Learned

Rural development as a tool to mitigate migration to urban centres Importance of recognizing and harnessing cultural values of gender in decision making and implementation process

Enhanced womens participation in collaboration with men Clergy and village leaders in advisory capacity

Properly motivated women are willing to take up officebearer positions in the CBO

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Lessons Learned Contd

Strong womens participation expedite project activities

Commitment and devotion to project success Encourage effective participation of men Efficient in collection of cash contribution High degree of honesty and capability to handle financial management activities (establish transparency)

Access to water supply and sanitation services saves women time for productive activities which enhance family income Enhance living standards by women ensuring family health and security Enhance mutual respect and self esteem within family through collaborative participation in project and income generating activities
Men are encouraged to work efficiently in the presence of women

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Challenges
Meeting fast changing social conditions during project implementation Lack of participation in decision making process in the absence of male partner Lack of male participation in construction activities (unskilled labour) Low market acceptance for village level products

Technology gap in rural activities

Operational sustainability due to change in social and individual needs

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THANK YOU

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