Enhance SDG 6 actualisation in tropical environment: addressing women’s capacity-building needs to manage home water supply variability

Water access and supply variability pose significant challenges for women in Iwo, who are primarily responsible for water collection. This study explores key factors influencing women's access to water, the role of government policies in supporting coping strategies, and the capacity-building needs required to enhance resilience against shortages. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 400 respondents, primarily female heads of households, selected from four divisions of Iwo (Gidigbo, Molete, Oke-Oba I, and Oke-Oba II). A total of 368 responses were successfully retrieved for analysis. The respondents were predominantly women aged 18 and above, with 87.2% married. Civil servants constituted the largest occupational group (41.6%), while 76.6% had tertiary education, and most households comprised 4 to 6 members. KMO and Bartlett’s tests confirmed the datasets' suitability for factor analysis at a significance level of p < 0.005. Factor analysis identified three primary determinants of water access: cost of water supply (28.69% variance), time spent fetching water (23.69%), and rationale for choosing a water source (17.79%), collectively explaining 70.17% of total variation. These findings highlight the financial and time constraints women face in accessing water. The study also assessed government policies enhancing women’s resilience to water shortages. Four key policy-related factors emerged: policies supporting sustainable living (24.51% variance), willingness to acquire water supply knowledge (22.92%), reasons for choosing a water source (18.08%), and the effectiveness of existing policies (14.37%), explaining 79.88% of variation in coping strategies. Furthermore, essential capacity-building needs were identified, including willingness to participate in training (24.47% variance), knowledge of water purification (19.64%), ability to store water (19.56%), and formal training in water management (19.30%), accounting for 82.98% of total variation. Addressing financial barriers, reducing collection time, improving policy frameworks, and investing in women's technical knowledge can significantly enhance water access, resilience, and sustainable water security in Iwo.