{"title":"Women: guardians of water and cultural link amid drinking water scarcity in Gboguhé Sub-Prefecture, Central-West Côte d'Ivoire","authors":"Jonathan Aser Engelvin Seri","doi":"10.1007/s43832-023-00043-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In rural Ivorian communities, women are considered as the guardians of water, undertaking an essential role deeply rooted in local cultural values, ensuring the preservation and management of this vital resource. However, the scarcity of potable water places them under significant pressure, exposing them to heightened risks. Within this context, this study conducted in the Sub-Prefecture of Gboguhé explores the critical link between the cultural values of Bete women and the issue of access to potable water in the region, with a specific focus on the impacts they experience. To achieve this, the study adopts a primarily qualitative approach based on documentary research, direct observations, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The findings reveal that the scarcity of potable water disproportionately affects women in these communities, leading to significant socio-economic consequences. Water points often become scenes of verbal and physical aggression among women, given the difficulties in accessing water in the area, thereby limiting their daily activities and economic participation. Furthermore, they face heightened health risks due to water supply hardships and the consumption of non-potable water from unimproved sources. Additionally, this study offers novel perspectives for transformative actions aimed at addressing the scarcity of potable water, promoting women's social and cultural values, and preserving the essential cultural ties within the Bete communities of Gboguhé and beyond.","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Discover Water","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-023-00043-z","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract In rural Ivorian communities, women are considered as the guardians of water, undertaking an essential role deeply rooted in local cultural values, ensuring the preservation and management of this vital resource. However, the scarcity of potable water places them under significant pressure, exposing them to heightened risks. Within this context, this study conducted in the Sub-Prefecture of Gboguhé explores the critical link between the cultural values of Bete women and the issue of access to potable water in the region, with a specific focus on the impacts they experience. To achieve this, the study adopts a primarily qualitative approach based on documentary research, direct observations, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The findings reveal that the scarcity of potable water disproportionately affects women in these communities, leading to significant socio-economic consequences. Water points often become scenes of verbal and physical aggression among women, given the difficulties in accessing water in the area, thereby limiting their daily activities and economic participation. Furthermore, they face heightened health risks due to water supply hardships and the consumption of non-potable water from unimproved sources. Additionally, this study offers novel perspectives for transformative actions aimed at addressing the scarcity of potable water, promoting women's social and cultural values, and preserving the essential cultural ties within the Bete communities of Gboguhé and beyond.
期刊介绍:
Discover Water is part of the Discover journal series committed to providing a streamlined submission process, rapid review and publication, and a high level of author service at every stage. It is an open access, community-focussed journal publishing research from across all fields relevant to water research.
Discover Water is a broad, open access journal publishing research from across all fields relevant to the science and technology of water research and management. Discover Water covers not only research on water as a resource, for example for drinking, agriculture and sanitation, but also the impact of society on water, such as the effect of human activities on water availability and pollution. As such it looks at the overall role of water at a global level, including physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes, and social, policy, and public health implications. It is also intended that articles published in Discover Water may help to support and accelerate United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6: ‘Clean water and sanitation’.