Feminization of water collection and marginalization of women: the realities and reasons

Women bearing the disproportionate burdens of water collection in water-deficit pockets face myriad issues that deter their economic participation and quality of life (QoL). This article deals with the ground realities of how and why the feminization of water leads to the marginalization of women. The article is based on an empirical investigation in a water-deficit district of Odisha, i.e., Nabarangpur. The article deviates from conventional studies on the feminization of water by focusing not only on marginalization from an economic angle but also on the QoL. The study has devised 20 four-point indicators retrieved from field observations and interviews. It has adopted a qualitative method with a “Go-Along” approach to collect information and narratives, which have proven to be highly revealing in nature. Furthermore, the article departs from the stereotypical observations of the impact of the feminization of water on economic participation and health, bringing out new dimensions, such as discovering seasonal differences in the distance covered and the time consumed for collecting water and some specific health issues faced due to it in the study locality.