Conluding Thoughts

Following seven posts, I would like to use this opportunity to reflect. This has been a challenging process as I have battled with different emotions, from confusion to anger to disgust. Blogs regarding access to toilets, menstruation, and gender-based violence were particularly hard to research and write as I felt a sense of helplessness as I discussed the impacts and issues but did little regarding recommending or finding a solution.

As I mentioned in my introductory post, this blog was not able to cover everything, and the scope limited the stakeholders I could discuss. I would also like to explore the issue of gender bias data, as this is an important part of the reason why solutions may fail. Should you wish to explore this further, I recommend you read 'Invisible Women’ and Pouramin et al.

I have sought to remain conscious of my positionality as a white female living in the UK and remain aware of the warning given by Binyavanga Wainaina. Although I have tried to give a variety of case studies and provide depth to each one, the range of literature used in my blogs has been limited. Many of the readings used to inform my discussion in the blogs were written by scholars from the Global North. I would have liked to have spent more time researching and finding literature that provided an alternative perspective. Nevertheless, I hope that over time, this will become an easier process and that these voices will be heard and given agency.

I appreciate that this blog has shown a lot of the negative sides of the relationship between water and gender, but this allows us to now work towards solutions. Therefore, I hope that I have left you with unanswered questions so that you can now continue educating yourself on this topic.

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