Bengali Women’s Ideas About Water Quality

Suzanne Hanchett, Ph.D.International Women’s Anthropology Conference

and Planning Alternatives for Change, LLC

• Translation was done by the “Google Translate” program: I apologize for any mistakes.

• Tradução foi feita pelo "Google Translate" programa: peço desculpas por quaisquer erros.

• La traducción fue realizada por el "Google Translate" del programa: Pido disculpas por cualquier error.

The Human Right to WaterO direito humano à águaEl Derecho Humano al Agua

• How much water and of what quality?• Quanta água e de que qualidade?• La cantidad de agua y de qué calidad?

Who sets “quality” standards? Experts? People themselves?Quem define os padrões de "qualidade"? Especialistas? Próprias pessoas?¿Quién establece las normas de "calidad"? Los expertos? Las personas mismas?

Expand from “Rights” to “Commons”• Rights (Derechos/Direitos)• Individual is focus• Confusion between property

rights and human rights• Corporations can be persons• Inspiring concept but did not

solve the problem of commodification/privatization

• -Conceito inspirador, mas não resolveu os problemas de mercantilização / privatização

• -Concepto inspirador, pero no resolvió los problemas de comercialización y / o privatización

• Commons (los comunes)

• Emphasis on collective and social life

• Place-based practices and beliefs

• Respect indigenous approaches (Respeite abordagens indígenas /Respetar los enfoques indígenas)

The Human Rights/Commons Approach supports and reinforces value of indigenous ideas

• O abordagem dos direitos humanos/ Comuns apóia e reforça valor das ideias indígenas

• Los derechos humanos o el enfoque de los bienes comunes refuerza el respeto a las ideas indígenas

Rural Women’s Ideas About Water Quality: the Bangladesh Social & Cultural Framework

A river in the dry season

Um rio na estação seca

Un río en la estación seca

Leased-out pools restrict access to fisheries.

Arrendada-out piscinas restringir o acesso à pesca.

Arrendada a cabo piscinas restringir el acceso a la pesca.

Focus Group Participants, Laksham Sub-district, June 2009 (Kazi Rozana Akhter Photo)

Women are responsible for domestic water management.

• As mulheres são responsáveis pela gestão da água doméstica.

• Las mujeres son responsables de la gestión del agua doméstica.

• They struggle with floods, seasonal water shortages, and routine access to acceptable water.

• To share drinking water is a cultural value.

• Rural women work very hard to organize their water in the home. They use an average of more than three different types of water for different purposes.

• As mulheres rurais trabalhar muito duro para organizar a sua água em casa. Eles utilizam uma média de mais de três tipos diferentes de água para fins diferentes.

• Las mujeres rurales trabajan muy duro para organizar su agua en el hogar. Se utiliza un promedio de más de tres tipos diferentes de agua para diferentes propósitos.

Water Stored in a Kitchen: Different pots for different purposes, Laksham Uz., 2009 (Kazi Rozana Akhter photo)

Ideas About Water Quality (1): ‘Hot’ vs. ‘Cold’Idéias sobre Qualidade da Água (1): ‘Quente’ vs. ‘Fria’Ideas acerca de la calidad del agua (1): caliente o frío• Temperature + Physiological effects • Based on Ayurveda, indigenous science of humoral

medicine• Illness caused by imbalance among bodily humors• Excess of ‘cold’ is dangerous for young children and

new mothers.

Pond Life, Bera Upazila, June 2009

(Shireen Akhter Photo)

• Bathing customs: timing of baths to avoid ‘cold’

• Fatos de banho: o tempo dos banhos para evitar 'frio’

• Costumbres de baño: el tiempo de los baños para evitar la "fría"

Fear of ‘cold’ was associated with new water technologyMedo de 'frio' foi associado com a tecnologia de água novaEl miedo de los "fríos" se asoció con la tecnología del agua nueva

• Tube wells (tubo de poços / Tubo de pozos)

• Arsenic removal filters (Remoção de filtros de arsénio / Filtros de remoción de arsénico)

Sono Arsenic Removal Filter, 2009

READ-F Arsenic Removal Filter, 2009

Ideas About Water Quality (2): ‘Pure’ vs. ‘Impure’Idéias sobre Qualidade da Água (2): puro ou impuroIdeas Sobre La Calidad Del Agua (2): puro o impuro

• Purity is both physical and spiritual.• Physical contact with impurity affects the soul.• A concept with a long history in South Asia.• The most ‘impure’ things: menstrual blood, birth

blood, and human feces.

Purification by Bath in Ganges River (Source: deathby1000papercuts.com)

Ganges Bath (Source: pbs.org)

Purity & Removal of Pollution

Image from: photobucket.com

Ideas About Water Quality (3): OthersIdéias sobre Qualidade da Água (3): OutrosIdeas acerca de la calidad del agua (3): Otros

• Clarity/Transparency (Clareza / Transparência; Claridad / Transparencia)

• Color (cor / color)• Age: old/young (Idade: velho / jovem; Edad: viejo /

joven)• Light/Heavy (Leve / pesada; Ligero / Pesado)• Iron content (teor de ferro; contenido de hierro)• Taste (gosto; sabor)• Arsenic-contaminated/Arsenic-free (Arsênico: livre /

contaminado; Arsénico: gratis / contaminada)

Conclusions (1)• There is a large gap between these rural women’s

thinking about water and professionals’ ideas of water safety. – “Science” vs. “Superstition”– Respect others’ cultural views: a good idea– Women are thinking, debating, analyzing according to

their own cultural parameters.

• Há uma grande diferença entre o pensamento dessas mulheres rurais sobre a água e as idéias dos profissionais de segurança da água.

• Hay una gran brecha entre el pensamiento de estas mujeres del medio rural sobre el agua y las ideas de los profesionales de la seguridad del agua.

(2)• Professionals tend to be intolerant of cultural

differences.– This is the principal challenge.

• Os profissionais tendem a ser intolerante com as diferenças culturais.– Este é o principal desafio.

• Los profesionales tienden a ser intolerantes con las diferencias culturales.– Este es el principal desafío.

(3)

• Technical knowledge is needed.• The “rights” and “commons” approach

demands active involvement of local people who manage domestic water (women) and respect for their cultural views.

• How & Why to include women?– How: Two-way communication.– Why: They have useful local knowledge and

experience.

(4) The “Culture” concept is gaining in acceptance:• “A crucial step in laying the foundations for

sustainability” is “...deepening individual and collective understandings of how water is understood and valued….”

• "Um passo crucial na definição das bases para a sustentabilidade" é "... o aprofundamento entendimentos individuais e coletivas de como a água é compreendida e valorizada ....”

• "Un paso crucial para sentar las bases para la sostenibilidad" es "... la profundización de la comprensión individual y colectiva de cómo el agua se entiende y se valora ...."

– Dr. Barbara Johnston, Water, Cultural Diversity, and Global Environmental Change (Springer Press, for UNESCO/IHP, 2012)

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Obrigado - Pela sua participação.

Gracias - Por su participación.

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