THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN WATER GOVERNANCE: A CASE STUDY OF ZULULAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

The integration of gender considerations into water resource management and governance was first addressed at the 1977 United Nations Water Conference in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Subsequent policy frameworks were developed to enable women to assume a transformative role in global water governance. The 1992 International Conference on Water and Environment resulted in the Dublin Declaration, which highlighted the importance of empowering women for effective water resource management. This principle was further endorsed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, known as the Earth Summit. During this conference, Agenda 21 was adopted, and Chapter 18 of the declaration emphasised the necessity of financially and socially viable projects that incorporate a participatory approach involving women in water resource management and governance. Women and girls are the most affected by water challenges, walking long distances to fetch water, facing health risks from poor sanitation, and yet remaining underrepresented in decision-making and finance. This paper investigated the underrepresentation of women’s leadership in water governance in the Zululand District Municipality. This paper adopted an exploratory research design, underpinned by a qualitative methodological approach, to generate nuanced insights into the complex dynamics shaping women’s relationship with water governance. Content analysis was further utilised as the primary method for examining qualitative data. The results stressed the challenges encountered by women in water governance and indicated that prioritising equity is essential to enable women to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes.