Women & Gender Constituency

Housing and sanitation improvement: solidarity microcredit funds with a gender perspective

Description of the project: Madre Tierra supports the creation of Solidarity Microcredit Funds between women to improve their housing and access to drinking water. The first phase of the project presents housing improvement processes (like access to tap water and internal electricity), representing an improvement in the living conditions and tasks performed by women such as care and domestic work. The habitat improvement is expected to empower women to identify gender inequities and, through gender-specific workshops, incorporate discussions on stereotypes, violence and feminism. The project benefits 300 people, including women and their families.

Climate impact: The project represents a tangential adaptation measure to climate impact, with water saving actions. House improvements include: installation of home water connections and rain water tanks. Promoting a more efficient use of the water network and collecting rain water as enable substantial watersavings. The improvements in the housing conditions allowed for a more adequate thermal protection and a better access to sanitary conditions to the families.

Gender impact: The project ensures safer homes : access to drinking water inside the home means that women do not have to go outside to get the resource, and indoor electricity generates more safety; it also improves women’s and families’ living condition, especially as it reduces the time spent on cooking and cleaning. Women’s participation in the decisions was sought during each stage of the project, making their opinions more visible to their partners and communities.

Scalability / replicability: The project reflects the feasibility of articulated work between grassroot women’s organizations, NGOs and the state in which social investment takes into account the opinion and vision of the people affected. The systematization of the results found at each stage allows this project to be taken as a good practice that highlights the importance of including a gender perspective to avoid perpetuating inequities within families.

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