Wrapping Up
I have so thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing this blog and I can't believe that it has come to a conclusion already. Over the course of the last few months I have attempted to illuminate the many ways in which gender intersects with issues of water and sanitation in Africa. In doing so I have learned a great deal and found myself subconsciously returning to a few important points: The inattention to the varied needs of many stakeholders, in particular women, girls and people who menstruate, is hampering developmental progress. There is a great deal of literature on the need for gender mainstreaming in the development discourse but we're yet to see this gain traction in more tangible ways. With reference to the point above, practical/infrastructural interventions must be accompanied or even preceded by work to address socio-cultural beliefs that make water 'women's work' and the gendered politics of water governance. This means going beyond perfunctory efforts
