Gender Mainstreaming Case Study

India—Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project

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• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9789292549770
• eBook ISBN: 9789292549787
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Gender Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

In 2006, the State of Chhattisgarh adopted the new Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) Act, which set out important changes for irrigation management and had significant implications for women's participation in irrigation system. Chhattisgarh has abundant agricultural land and rainfall. However, agricultural productivity was low because only wet season rice (or paddy) was grown in most areas. The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) improved irrigation, making it possible for dry season (rabi) cropping and giving many farmers the opportunity to improve their livelihood. With the PIM Act, the CIDP improved farm productivity and increased the participation of women in farm decision-making. The CIDP was the first irrigation project in Chhattisgarh that worked within a participatory irrigation management framework and strengthened water users' associations.

India: Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project

Summary

PROJECT GOALS AND RESULTS

• The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) aimed to increase agricultural productivity, improve rural livelihoods, and reduce poverty by improving irrigation delivery, enhancing agricultural practices, and strengthening water resource management.

• The CIDP supported the rehabilitation and upgrading of irrigation systems that serve more than 150,000 households; strengthened government capacity to assist water users’ associations (WUAs); and trained 1,250 out of 1,324 WUAs in Chhattisgarh based on the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) Act, a legislation that mandated the roles and responsibilities of WUAs, including the membership of women in irrigation management. It also trained 191 WUAs on how to improve agricultural techniques and how to be more effective in general. It offered opportunities for collective actions by communities, such as joint purchase of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, and joint marketing of produce. Overall, participants reported improved crop yields and higher household incomes.

• Building on the new PIM Act, the CIDP strengthened women’s participation in WUAs. A widespread education campaign raised awareness on the importance of women’s participation in decision making and encouraged women to become active in these associations. In the 2007 WUA elections, women were elected in one-third of available positions.

PROCESSES AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS

• The PIM Act was passed through the CIDP. With this new law, the CIDP promoted PIM, especially women’s participation. The project predated the requirement for a Gender Action Plan and gender targets and indicators in the Design and Monitoring Framework (DMF) outputs. Gender-related strategies and targets were indicated in the Summary Poverty Reduction and Social Strategy.

• All irrigation upgrading and rehabilitation activities included contractual obligations to offer “equal pay for equal work” to men and women.

• Technical assistance supported activities to promote women’s participation in irrigation management and their election to WUA committees.

Project Overview

Chhattisgarh has abundant agricultural land and rainfall. However, agricultural productivity was low because only wet season rice (or paddy) was grown in most areas. The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) improved irrigation. Dry season (rabi) cropping became possible and gave many farmers the opportunity to improve their livelihood.

Water users’ associations (WUAs) were established in Chhattisgarh in 1999 to manage local irrigation initiatives. Their first year, however, was relatively unsuccessful. Members lacked skills in managing water systems, and WUAs had insufficient funds.

In 2006, through the CIDP, the State of Chhattisgarh adopted the new Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) Act, which set out important changes for irrigation management and had significant implications for women’s participation in irrigation systems. These included

• Extending WUA membership to spouses, thus opening up avenues for women’s participation. Both men and women—not just women with land titles—are now full WUA members with the right to attend meetings, stand for election, and vote.

• Establishing reserved seats for women and underrepresented groups, including scheduled castes and tribes. WUA subcommittees are to be composed of at least 33% women.

• Expanding jurisdictions for WUAs to include minor irrigation systems and lower parts of medium and major irrigation systems.

• Allowing government to share a quarter of the water fees collected from users with WUAs, which is used for small repairs and system maintenance.

With the PIM Act, the CIDP improved farm productivity and increased the participation of women in farm decision making. The CIDP was the first irrigation project in Chhattisgarh that worked within a participatory irrigation management framework and strengthened WUAs. See Box 1 for basic information on the CIDP.

Box 1: The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project: Basic Facts

Loan Number:	2159
Loan Approval:	March 2006
Closing Date:	March 2013
Executing Agency:	Water Resources Department, Government of Chhattisgarh
Overall Project Cost:	$66.60 million
Financing:	ADB loan: $46.10 million
	Project Beneficiaries: $0.60 million
	Government: $19.90 million
Gender Classification:	Effective gender mainstreaming

Note: In this report, “$” refers to US dollars.

Source: Project records, Project Management Unit.

Main Aims and Approaches

The overall goal of the Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) was to improve agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, and reduce poverty through improved irrigation delivery, enhanced agricultural practices, and strengthened water resource management. The project was designed to help the State of Chhattisgarh rehabilitate and upgrade irrigation systems, strengthen the Water Resources Department (WRD), empower WUAs, and promote the adoption of improved water management and agricultural practices among farmers.

The main project components were as follows:

Component 1: Institutional strengthening and capacity development for the WRD, which aimed to strengthen the department and improve its ability to develop and manage irrigation systems.

Component 2: Improved institutional framework and capacity development for WUAs, which used a PIM framework to develop the capacity of WUAs to play a meaningful role in the rehabilitation, management, operations, and maintenance of irrigation systems.

Component 3: Rehabilitation and upgrading of existing irrigation schemes leading to improved performance, which sought to rehabilitate and upgrade minor and medium irrigation systems through a participatory process directed by WUAs.

Component 4: Improved capacity and willingness of farmers to engage in rabi (dry season) cropping and diversified farming, which provided support to enhance WUAs’ and farmers’ capacities for improved agricultural practices.¹

The project employed a range of activities including civil engineering works, support for institutional and policy changes, capacity development (including organizing farmer field school extension), farmers’ mobilization, public education campaigns, and the development of a monitoring and evaluation program. Nongovernment organizations (NGOs) were contracted with technical assistance from ADB to develop the capacities of WUAs, provide agricultural support services (especially for the newer rabi crops), and increase awareness and education among WUA members. CIDP also linked WUAs with the Department of Agriculture and other service providers from the private sector, and helped the WUAs establish marketing partnerships. The project also eased access to seeds, farm equipment, and fertilizer.

Relevant Gender Equality Issues

During project implementation, there was a growing recognition of the importance of taking into account gender issues in water resources management in general, and irrigation initiatives in particular. Gender differences and inequalities, as well as cultural stereotypes and norms, were assessed to determine the extent of women’s participation in irrigation management. Specific gender issues identified include²

• Access to resources, assets, and labor, and responsibility in decision making are dominated by men. Thus, women have little or no access to land other than through their relationship with male family members. As landownership was a condition for membership in many water management bodies before the enactment of the PIM Act, many landless women farmers and agricultural workers were excluded from participating in decision making and management of water resources. Participation is important to women because of their various uses of water, such as for crops, livestock, economic activities, and household use. A holistic view of women’s need for water and their important role in its management is thus important.

• The division of labor, which is prescribed by social norms and tradition, limits women to the immediate household area. Hence, irrigation infrastructure design needs to adopt technologies that match with the preferences and capacities of users, and enable rural women to benefit fully from them.

• The social norms limit women’s participation in political and other forms of decision making that affect their lives. The restrictions are particularly hard to overcome for women who head households, whether as widows or through divorce or abandonment. Women workers earn considerably less than male workers. Women also have lower average calorie consumption, indicated by higher malnutrition, mortality, and morbidity rates for girls and women than for males.

• Women’s needs as farmers are not always addressed by agricultural extension services. Sociocultural restrictions also limit their capacity to control the proceeds from their labor or to access extension services, especially when male officers deliver these services. Given these factors, their contributions to agricultural production, such as caring for livestock and crop production, are not always supported by new technologies and training opportunities.

• Women’s membership in WUAs or committees does not always translate into effective participation. Even with reserved seats and/or mandatory membership, women may not be full partners with men. They may be uncomfortable speaking; when they do speak up, they are not listened to. Gender stereotypes, power imbalances, and lack of confidence affect women’s ability to take full advantage of legal openings. Women may also be held back by lower literacy levels, lack of information on agricultural techniques, leadership gaps, and lack of experience in conflict resolution. To be effective, legal instruments often require supporting measures such as capacity building for women, awareness raising for men, and learning new ways of working together.

Involving Women and Addressing Gender Disparities

The project acknowledged institutional, social, and cultural barriers to women’s empowerment and provided measures to promote the interests of women. One measure was pushing for the passage of the new PIM Act 2006 through which women became eligible both for WUA membership and for election to WUA governing bodies and committees. In accordance with this law, in 2007, for the first time in WUA elections, seats in the WUA management committee were reserved for women and less represented and socially excluded communities (Scheduled Tribes, Schedule Castes, and “Other Backward Classes”).

CIDP’s Summary Poverty Reduction and Social Strategy (SPRSS) included various measures to support women’s participation and gender equality outcomes as listed below.

• The revised participatory irrigation management policies included several key changes such as (i) membership in the WUA is on a household basis so that both women and men can become members with the right to attend meetings and vote; and (ii) all women (not just women property owners with a title) who are part of a WUA member household can stand for election and be elected into the WUA management committee and any subcommittee.

• The WUA ma...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• India: Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project
• Back Cover