Ellis Adjei Adams|Luke Juran|Idowu Ajibade
‘Spaces of Exclusion’ in community water governance: A Feminist Political Ecology of gender and participation in Malawi’s Urban Water User Associations
Georgia State University|Virginia Tech|Portland State University
much literature gender dimensions communitybased water governance focuses irrigation systems rural areas largely overlooked gender dynamics influence participation communitybased urban water governance systems address gap use insights feminist political ecology fpe examine whether communitybased governance drinking water urban context leads inequitable gender participation decision making using household surveys n 415 key informant interviews n 19 focusgroup discussions n 14 explore gender dynamics power relations underpinning participation decision making processes employment benefit sharing arrangements among water user associations wuas urban informal settlements lilongwe malawi find wuas guarantee equitable gender participation rather inequitable participation simply reified 1 gendered representation wua structures 2 sociocultural practices womens selfexclusion 3 community micropolitics power relations findings contradict notion communitybased governance water leads equitable participation empowerment women policy implications without systematic efforts incorporate womens needs interests voices socalled participatory approaches water governance serve suppress womens agency reinforce existing genderbased inequalities future work explore pathways womens leadership wuas interrogate women board executive committees navigate way hierarchy experiences maledominated water governance scheme recommendations wuas improve womens participation