‘Piped water to change gender roles’
PIPED water in rural communities is set to change the face of gender roles as men will now be involved in several household chores that were previously done mostly by women.
This was said by the Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Cde Richard Moyo after handing over a piped water scheme in Ward 15 in Bubi District last week.
“Apart from providing clean and accessible water, the project also had a noticeable impact in representing, reducing, recognising and redistributing unpaid and domestic care work that remains the burden of our women and girls. Availability of piped water makes it easy for men to also collect water.
“The programme has a special component of reducing gender-based violence through information dissemination and community dialogues,” he said.
The project was funded by Oxfam Zimbabwe and implemented by local Bubi-based NGO, Bekezela. Cde Moyo, however, said trainings on GBV should not stop because the water scheme is now complete.
He said community members should continue doing the same even in the aftermath of conventional funding. Cde Moyo said community members should take responsibility for the asset that had been extended to them.
“This community should take responsibility on protection and maintenance of the piped water schemes as the donor will not come and maintain them. It is therefore upon the community to see that the community-based management concept (CBM) is activated to take responsibility of all maintenance and security issues.
This means that the community should fund the maintenance of the scheme so that it has a long working life. The community should also be available to provide labour as and when need arises for the gardens,” he said.
Cde Moyo said the pipe water scheme belonged to the community, as such, locals were responsible to ensure the project will benefit future generations. In 2011, the Government adopted a national water policy and national hygiene and sanitation strategy whose vision was to ensure that all people living in rural areas will have sustained access to safe and affordable water supply, sanitation services and hygiene education to improve health livelihoods and productivity, alleviate poverty and improve growth.
“This is the vision of the Government of Zimbabwe in as far as water and sanitation is concerned. This vision resonates well with Vision 2030 which says ‘Towards an upper -middle income economy by 2030’. The vision also emphasises on the development of water and sanitation infrastructure among other things,” added Cde Moyo.
Access to safe water and sanitation will also result in reduced incidences of diarrhoea, cholera, among other related diseases.