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 Water
O direito humano à água
El 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
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.
A river in the dry season
Um rio na estação seca
Un río en la estación seca
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.
• Bathing customs:
timing of baths to avoid
‘cold’
• Fatos de banho: o
tempo dos banhos para
evitar 'frio’
Pond Life, Bera Upazila, June 2009
(Shireen Akhter Photo)
• Costumbres de baño: el
tiempo de los baños
para evitar la "fría"
Fear of ‘cold’ was associated with new water
technology
Medo de 'frio' foi associado com a tecnologia de
água nova
El 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
impuro
Ideas 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.
Ideas About Water Quality (3): Others
Idéias sobre Qualidade da Água (3): Outros
Ideas 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)
Thank you
for your participation.
Obrigado - Pela sua participação.
Gracias - Por su participación.
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