Women, Water Governance, and Sustainable Development in Rural Communities in Bangladesh

Research Background and Purpose

Research on women's practices and participation in water governance and management in rural communities in the transboundary Meghna Basin, shared by Bangladesh and India, is scarce and lacks an intersectional and critical feminist perspective. Knowing how rural women with diverse intersectional backgrounds—based on age, class, and ethnicity—define and represent water and how this understanding has evolved is crucial to understanding the impact of water in everyday lived experiences.

The study helps to address the gap by exploring how water governance and practices are interconnected with the spiritual, social, economic, ecological, and cultural connotations and practices of women in rural communities in the transboundary Meghna Basin. The study also explores how women's involvement in current water governance practices is pivotal for ensuring sustainable and inclusive socio-ecological practices in these communities.

Methods

The community-based research included in-depth narrative inquiry with eight women from various rural communities in the transboundary Meghna Basin in Bangladesh. The women were selected through purposive sampling to ensure intersectional variation among research participants and the greater validity of collected data.

The methods in the community-based narrative inquiry research included informal storytelling of the lived experiences of research participants, participant observation, and document analysis. Narrative inquiry served as an effective method in the community-based research process due to its empowering and emancipatory ability to unleash the true voices of marginalised individuals. The study used critical discourse analysis and thematic analysis to generate themes from the response codes and drive the analysis of the study.

Results

The findings show that among the rural communities in transboundary Meghna Basin, women and girls as traditionally acknowledged ‘providers of water’ are responsible for water collection in most households without access to drinkable water on premises. However, such practices and responsibilities vary based on the intersectional social identities of the rural women which include, but are not limited to socio-economic class, age, ethnicity, and religion. While the nature of water accessibility has improved, the findings highlight the pivotal interconnection between access to quality water with domestic violence, access to education or employment opportunities, health and well-being, and the everyday lives of women and girls in these rural communities in Bangladesh.

Despite women being the primary water providers in rural household settings, the study found that they lack significant representation in the traditional institutions or the national policy framework regarding water governance and management. Thus, although women can participate in local arbitrations, where decisions concerning ecological practices and governance processes are made, however, they lack the opportunity, motivation, and leadership for any active participation in these male-dominated traditional power structures.

Conclusions and Implications

The study can have important implications for social workers operating in rural settings in Bangladesh as it helps to understand how women’s participation in the community-based water governance process is crucial to addressing the interconnected socio-environmental challenges. The study suggests social work practices around collaborative community organising, transformative education, and advocacy processes for rural stakeholders, among others, to promote sustainable water practices in the context.