Does women's representation in local water management lead to better meeting women's domestic water needs?

This paper focuses on the interface between gender roles in water provision and use at household and community level and its relationship with women’s practical and strategic gender needs. Data were collected in nine villages in the districts of Kondoa and Mpwapwa, Dodoma region in Tanzania. Results have shown that women gain more knowledge on the appropriateness of water for consumptive and productive uses while pursuing their reproductive roles in the provision and use of domestic water at the household level. However, social-cultural context limit women’s participation during designing and planning of water services at community level; ultimately their preferences and perceptions on the appropriateness of the domestic water are not integrated in the water projects. We recommend systematic analysis on the interdependence between women’s domestic water needs, their involvement in community management and the bigger picture of gender roles in society.