An interview with Claire Parfondry, livelihoods program advisor at Weforest.
Claire provides technical leadership and assistance on the livelihoods and institutional components of WeForest’s projects. She is a strong advocate for systemic approaches and works across many different areas of intervention and territories in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Women and water management in Desa'a
Why is water scarcity a bigger issue for women?
In many parts of the world, including in some of our project areas, women and girls are responsible for collecting water. When water is scarce, they must walk longer distances, losing valuable time for education or work—and facing a greater risk of violence. Limited water access can also affect menstrual hygiene, which is still stigmatized in many places, forcing many girls to stay home from school.
How does including women in water management help?
What is true for forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is also true when it comes to water management: involving women in water management means that their knowledge and needs are taken into account, leading to more effective and sustainable water management, which ultimately benefits the whole community. Excluding them in water management, on the contrary, may lead to ineffective water management.
What social, environmental, and economic changes have you observed when women are involved in restoration projects?
The inclusion of women in forest and landscape restoration (FLR) has led to better outcomes on many levels. Involving women means that FLR programmes have higher chances of success. For example, if by-laws relating to natural resources are developed with the involvement of women, they are more likely to be accepted and respected by them. Beyond FLR, equitable approaches can open new avenues of work for women in sectors where women are typically underrepresented. For example, in forestry and in beekeeping— two sectors in which women are often underrepresented —having female forest guards and female beekeepers could inspire the next generation of girls to consider jobs in this sector that they would not have considered otherwise.
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