Welfare, technical solutions and role of women as housewives

1945 - 1980

In the period after World War II the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, later to become known as the World Bank) were established. The UN charter of 1945 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 established the first recognition of women’s equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex. Emergency aid and provision of technical assistance solutions were the approaches during the time that decolonialisation was in progress.

1945 -1970 Welfare approach

The welfare approach to development evolved from the colonial times, targeting women as vulnerable groups and passive aid recipients, needing practical advice for their reproductive roles, e.g. through mothers’ clubs.

1970-1980 First community participation in water management

In this decade the need for community participation became more apparent, shifting away from mere technical solutions, such as water purification design and expansion of irrigation systems. But both in water supply and sanitation and in agricultural water management, community participation was male focused, overlooking women’s demands for water and their (potential) roles in water management.