Challenging norms and caring for water in rural Bhutan

Water care takers in training in Lhamoizingkha, rural Dagana, Bhutan (SNV Bhutan)

Dechen lives in the small village of Lhamoizingkha, situated in the southern foothills of Bhutan, in Dagana. Like many other women living in remote and rural areas, often, important information did not reach Dechen, or she was too busy attending to her day-to-day responsibilities to take up additional activities. 

But since participating in a water care taker training course, Dechen has become one of 17 women performing essential maintenance and repair duties on rural water supply schemes (RWSS) - a first for Bhutan that is transforming more than just piped water services.

Supported by Australia through Water for Women, the training programme was facilitated by experts from the Water and Sanitation Division of Bhutan's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and SNV Bhutan, as part of their Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH in Rural Bhutan project. It also involved close collaboration with Bhutan's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

The care taker training was initiated after a 2014 RWSS inventory study found that 75% of Bhutan’s 5,514 schemes were not functioning optimally, and that of those with a designated care taker, only 50% had received appropriate training. 

Depite primary responsibility for meeting household water and WASH needs, Bhutanese women are grossly underrepresented in decision-making and leadership positions in water and WASH, as well as wider commuity roles outside the home.

Dechen had never considered taking part in a training course before the Tshogpa (elected sub-district leader) put a call out for women to participate in the water care taker training. She faced some physical and imagined barriers, however, Dechen's husband encouraged her to participate and supported her to attend the five-day course. 

"No sooner did I receive the message... I shared this with my husband, to which he immediately told me that this is an opportunity for women like you to attend the training."

Dechen

The training was delivered in local dialect and had a built-in economic empowerment session that introduced small-scale business and entrepreneurship skills for participants to practise as they take on their roles of water care takers. It sought to impart practical, real-world application skills. Participants visited water supply sources and learnt the basics of maintaining water supply systems. They were introduced to several concepts that impact the maintenance and longevity of systems, such as climate change and the importance of inclusive and diverse participation in water supply management. 

According to Dechen, the training "was not only an opportunity for women, but it is a very helpful course." She said, "It will help us carry out basic water maintenance in our village."

After completing the training, Dechen immediately put her newfound skills to work. She fixed her water pipeline and taught her sister to maintain her water system. Dechen also encourages other women to participate in skills-building training and community meetings, and advocates for men to support them to do so.

Through the water care taker training in Dagana, 58 water caretakers have been trained and equipped with skills and techniques for maintenance and repair of their RWSS. In a first for the country, 17 of these new water care takers are women. Water maintenance tool kits have also been distributed to 30 water schemes.

Water for Women partners with SNV and local partners to deliver the Towards Climate-Resilient Inclusive WASH in Rural Bhutan project, which aims to accelerate progress in rural water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Dagana, Zhemgang and Trashigang. By strengthening the adaptive capacities of stakeholders, including rights holder groups and communities, the project is supporting sustainable service delivery and quality and equity at scale. By the end of 2024, it aims to directly benefit more than 88,000^* people living in the three districts, including more then 42,000^* women and girls.

*These Fund targets are based on partner civil society organisations project baseline studies. Project targets are updated periodically in response to changes in context as appropriate.