WOMEN AND COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY PROGRAMMES : AN ANALYSIS FROM A SOCIO-CUULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

This article explores the influence of social and cultural intricacies on the implementation of community water supply programmes, and assesses their effectiveness. The article offers important lessons for the design and implementation of this type of programmes. It concludes that the local socio-culturaI context sets the stage for programme implementation, being a dynamic factor that determines actual access to water sources, more so than mere physical availability, which is often used as a criterion for programme performance. The article stresses the urgent need to integrate socio-cultural factors as a fourth dimension in designing community water supply programmes, and suggests practical measures for enhancing the effectiveness of such programmes.