The role of women in sustainability of donor-funded rural drinking water supply projects in developing countries: A case study of Tajikistan

This study explores the relationship between women's participation and sustainability of community-managed drinking water supply projects in developing countries and answers a question - Does women's participation contribute to project sustainability? The findings of a comprehensive meta-analysis of all studies on sustainability of drinking water projects in developing counties, published within the 2010-2013 timeframe, are presented to generate an overall picture of the factors responsible for project sustainability and the role of women within the domain. The results of a survey conducted among the practitioners on rural drinking water supply projects in a case study country (Tajikistan) then compliment the literature meta-analysis with a snapshot on the views of stakeholders on the role of women's participation for project sustainability. This study contributes to the growing global body of literature on project sustainability in rural drinking water supply and produces recommendations for better effectiveness of community-managed water projects in developing countries.