24 November 2012: The Rural Water Sector (RWS) program, supported by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank, has demonstrated that mainstreaming gender in water programs is effective.

According to the World Bank, women’s community engagement has been driving new social dynamics in rural regions of Punjab, by allowing them to act as social entrepreneurs. One of the reported benefits of the RWS initiative is the reduction of water collection time, which has allowed women to take advantage of microcredit opportunities to conduct new economic activities. Beyond improving access to clean drinking water, the involvement of women in Sustaining Rural Water Supply Schemes is also enhancing school enrollment and reducing the risk of epidemics.

In recognition of the role of women as driver’s of change, the WSP has launched the Women in Water Initiative (WiWi). As a long-term strategy, the WiWi aims to create an enabling environment through: policy reforms; documentation of best practices; development of capacity; and organization of national/provincial knowledge events.

The next step, the World Bank notes, is to design policies capable of equipping and empowering women to manage communities’ drinking water. [WSP Press Release]