Millennium WATER STORY
Raising Water Consciousness through Photo Documentaries on Water Realities

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective

Nandita Singh and  Om Prakash Singh

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - men levelling water-logged fields for paddy transplantation in Munger district, Bihar

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

In India, water needs of men are multifarious, ranging from their personal needs to those for performance of diversified gender-based social and economic roles within families and society. Numbering more than 623 million, at the personal level all men require water for drinking, and for sanitation, health and hygiene. In some cases, they may also need water for cooking for themselves and their dependents. Sometimes, men also share the gender responsibility of caring for children and dependents at home, and require water in that regard. Further water may be needed for undertaking religious functions. The most important gender-based need for which water is often associated with men relates to their economic role. In India, about 25 million men have been identified as cultivators while another 25 million men as agricultural laborers, according to the 2011 census. Water is a necessary input for agricultural processes, particularly for raising crops. Whether growing cereals, pulses or oilseeds, water is a basic prerequisite either through rainfall or irrigation. Vegetable cropping is alsom being increasingly practiced by male farmers commercially and this generally requires water for irrigation and beyond for washing the product for the market. Many men also earn a livelihood through animal husbandry and water is needed for their livestock. Fishery is another important economic activity in which men engage and this is not possible without water. According to official estimates, a total of more than 14 million population engages in fishing-related activities in the country, of which about half are men. Many other businesses and industry also need water such as in the construction, textiles and manufacturing industries, water is an important resource and these sectors engage men in large numbers as owners as well as workers. Besides, smaller businesses such as restaurants and brick kilns engage men and need water. Men may also be involved in community level services that requiire water. In present times, water resources are growing scarce in terms of quantity as well as quality and consequently posing multiple challenges to men in fulfilling their water needs. This photo story presents a virtual journey of the diverse water needs of men, throwing up food for thought on the challenges facing this lesser conspicuous gender group in the water world. The title photo depicts men levelling water-logged fields for paddy transplantation in Munger district, Bihar.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Collecting water from a public tapstand for home use in Alappuzha district, Kerala

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Collecting water from a public tapstand for home use in Alappuzha district, Kerala

Men need water for own bathing, washing, cleaning, and also sanitation. Sometimes, they also assist women in fetching water for the household. Further, they may sometimes also need water for fulfilling shared domestic responsibilities such as caring for children and the sick. For fulfilling all these needs, the water supply should be continuous, adequate, reliable, safe and affordable, but access to domestic water is becoming an ever increasing challenge in peri-urban as well as rural settings.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Enjoying a bath at a rejuvenated well  in Alwar district, Rajasthan

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Enjoying a bath at a rejuvenated well in Alwar district, Rajasthan

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Helping young son bathe in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Helping young son bathe in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Doing one's own laundry in Mokokchung district, Nagaland

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Doing one's own laundry in Mokokchung district, Nagaland

Many men prefer to wash their own clothes. With presence of a reliable water source at home, this is easy but where water availability is seasonal or inadequate, not only laundry but even bathing and personal hygiene may become a challenge. In Nagaland in North-East India, villages are generally located on hill tops, and with increasing deforestation for various reasons, water availability near home has reduced to barely 3-4 months after monsoon. During rest of the year, men have to find alternate water sources far away where they can bathe and wash once in perhaps several days.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Carrying water for drinking in the field in Kutch district, Gujarat

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Carrying water for drinking in the field in Kutch district, Gujarat

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Carrying water for sanitation in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Carrying water for sanitation in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - holy man performing a religious bath in Sangam at Prayag (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

A holy man performing a religious bath in Sangam at Prayag (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh

Men may need water for undertaking religious functions at societal and individual levels, for example, as priests or heads of household. However, drying up of rivers, wells, sacred ponds, and other surface water sources may thwart this function. Similarly increasing water pollution can hurt their religious sentiments. Religion is an intricate part of culture, and the inability to practice the rites and rituals connected to water in the right spirit can thwart enjoyment of the human rights of not only men but also other related family or societal members.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Uprooting paddy seedlings for transplantation in Munger district, Bihar

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Uprooting paddy seedlings for transplantation in Munger district, Bihar

Agriculture is primarily men's economic arena and is not possible without water. Some crops like pearl millet can be grown rain-fed but many others require irrigation. Paddy is a water intensive crop which requires fields to be flooded with water for transplantation and during a substantial part of the growth cycle. In some areas such as in Bihar, farmers depend much on monsoon rains for paddy cultivation, but face challenge when rains are delayed, forcing them to abandon the monsoon crop. In some other parts, such as in Punjab and Haryana, paddy cultivation has thrived on irrigation based on canals and groundwater. In these areas, reduced canal discharge or overexploitation of groundwater has led to lowered yields, plunging farmers into debt traps. Water quality can also be an obstacle to good productivity. For example, in many areas salinity in groundwater is becoming a challenge.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Irrigating wheat fields in Bhojpur district, Bihar

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Irrigating wheat fields in Bhojpur district, Bihar

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Growing capsicum as cash crop using drip irrigation in Mandya district, Karnataka

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Growing capsicum as cash crop using drip irrigation in Mandya district, Karnataka

Commercial vegetable cropping too requires irrigation, and so does washing them for sale in the market. In water scarce areas, drip irrigation and other water saving technologies can help farmers address the challenge.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Washing spinach for sale in South East district,  National Capital Territory of Delhi

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Washing spinach for sale in South East district, National Capital Territory of Delhi

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - shepherd helping his animals drink water on a hot summer day from a 'tanka' (underground water tank) in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

A shepherd helping his animals drink water on a hot summer day from a 'tanka' (underground water tank) in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan

In semi-arid and arid regions of the country, animal herding is a common livelihood for men, particularly since agriculture may be unreliable due to climatic vagaries. It is also common on the mountains, where agriculture may be limited, especially on high altitudes. On the whole, animal husbandry is also an integral part of agriculture, with men and boys generally shouldering the responsibility of cattle tending outdoors. Animal herding depends much on water. A steady supply of 'blue' water for animals to drink as well as adequate 'green' water for continued fodder supply is necessary. This water need of men is increasingly challenged as drinking water sources for animals are becoming seasonal or even disappearing and pastures drying up.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - fisherman displaying Karimeen (Etroplus suratensis) – a common fish caught in the Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha district, Kerala

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

A fisherman displaying Karimeen (Etroplus suratensis) – a common fish caught in the Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha district, Kerala

The fisheries sector thrives on water, where men have an important stake. The coastline of India is more than 8000 km long, along which over 3 million fishermen live in more than 3000 villages. Additionally, many fishermen are engaged in inland fishing on numerous rivers and ponds or raise fish in ponds. Climate change is making a deep impact on coastal fishermen's livelihoods as change in physical qualities of water is affecting fish populations. For inland fishermen, many streams and rivers are drying up due to over-abstraction of water for municipal, agricultural and industrial uses or getting increasingly polluted from these sources, depleting fish populations. Climate change poses further complications. In Vembanad, the longest lake in the country, fish count has been steadily declining. Fish population is affected by changes in waterscape and surrounding landscape on account of expanding agricultural polders, pollution from solid wastes such as plastic, pesticides & fertilizer runoffs from paddy fields, loss of mangroves and growth of exotic weeds.

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - fishing in a stream in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Engaged in fishing in a stream in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh

Men and Water Needs from Gender Perspective - Cutting and washing vegetables at a community kitchen in Haridwar district, Uttarakhand

Photo by: Om Prakash Singh

Cutting and washing vegetables at a community kitchen in Haridwar district, Uttarakhand

River Ganga is a symbol of purity in Hinduism. Her water, called Gangajal, is regarded as extremely pure and sacred. According to the holy scriptures called Puranas, the sight, the name, and the touch of Ganga cleanses one of all sins. Ganga water is collected in containers and carried far and wide for use in temples, holy places and even at home for religious and ritual observances. It is believed that even one drop of the holy water can purify persons and objects alike and is enough to wipe out all the sins accumulated over many lifetimes.  Holding this water in hand Hindus are not expected to lie or be deceitful. Hindus believe that performance of a ritual near river Ganga multiplies in its blessedness. Similar sacred values are attached to the waters from the other six holy rivers, though Ganga is considered to be the supreme. In the above photo sacred water taken from the confluence (sangam) is believed to be even more important since it combines the virtues of 3 holy rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati.



A journey through the multifarious water needs of men shows that in comparison to women, in many instances, men’s water needs may be seasonal but larger in quantum, agriculture being an important example which alone is known to utilize over 70% of global water resources. However, like women, they also have personal and social needs which require water round the year but in smaller quantities. On the whole, it is also to be noted that men are often the breadwinners at family level. Consequently, fulfilment of their water needs related to economic pursuits is vital for the survival and well-being of their families, and therefore for realization of the various human rights of the dependent women and children. Fulfilment of men's water needs at personal and social levels is also essential since realization of their own human right to water is important for protection of their other human rights, such as health, development and culture. It is hence quintessential that the challenges confronting men’s water access for fulfilling their diverse needs be urgently and appropriately addressed so that sustainable development can be promoted.