"Because to be a person it’s all because of water:" Understanding Rural Zimbabwean Women’s Water Collecting Activities Using the Feminist Political Ecology Framework – A Mixed Methods Approach Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Introduction

Water is a critical component for well-being and health. However, 2.2 billion people across the world still lack access to water. To access water, women and girls across the world embark on water collection journeys to secure water for their households which exposes them to various physical, social, and emotional interactions and encounters during this journey. This study sought to explore women’s experiences collecting water for their households in rural Zimbabwe.

Methods

The study followed a convergent mixed-methods design approach. 33 participants from six communities of the rural districts of Gwanda and Nyanga participated in this study. Go-along interviews and observations were conducted with women on their water collection journeys; participants also wore smartwatches so health and activity metrics related to distance, time, elevation, heart rate, and caloric expenditure could be collected. The study applied the Feminist Political Ecology framework to understand gendered access, use, and management of water. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data.

Results

The quantitative data revealed that on average, women’s water collection journey lasted around 58 minutes during which they traveled a distance of 1.75 miles on pathways that were characterized as rocky, stony, thorny with uneven terrain while carrying containers with water that weighed 44 pounds. The use of the FPE framework supported the understanding of the complex interactions between gender, ecology, and power dynamics in the realm of water access and management highlighting the gendered norms, power dynamics, and social identities shaping water journey experiences while revealing the experiences of the embodiment and emotive realities, and the physical, social, and spatial meanings embedded by women for their water collection journeys. Implications for public health and recommendations for research and practice are discussed.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction. 1

Background. 1

Significance and Rationale. 3

Theoretical Framework. 4

Research Aims and Purpose of the Study. 4

Chapter 2 - Literature Review.. 6

WASH Access. 6

Gendered Aspects of Water Access and Collection. 7

Feminist Political Ecology Framework. 13

Chapter 3 - Methods. 16

Study Design and Setting. 16

Data Collection Activities. 17

Go-Along Interviews and Water Journey Assessments. 17

Eligibility and Recruitment 19

Data Collection. 19

Data Management 20

Analysis. 21

Ethics and Compensation. 23

Reflexivity and Positionality. 24

Chapter 4 – Results. 26

Results. 26

Study Participants. 26

Intersectionality in the Water Journey. 28

Beyond the Surface: Exploring Go-Along Interviews and Observations in Context 33

Situational Knowledge. 34

Environmental Awareness and Adaptation. 34

Political Influences on Water Selection. 36

Decision-Making for Water Sites. 37

Gendered Access to Water 39

Reproductive Care, Labor, and Work. 40

Spatial Meanings of Journeys and Sites. 44

Water Journeys. 44

Water Sites. 45

Social Interactions and Relationalities. 45

Emotive Realities. 47

Embodiment 48

Women’s Ecological Role. 49

Women Nurturing Nature. 49

Human-Animal Interactions. 50

Women’s Aspirations with Water 51

Integration of Results. 52

Chapter 5 – Public Health Implications. 55

Summary of Results. 55

Discussion. 56

Strengths and Limitations. 59

Implications. 60

Research. 60

Practice. 61

Conclusions. 62

References. 63

 

 

 

List of Tables

Table 1 - Theoretical Constructs, Description, Application, and Illustrative Example. 22

Table 2 - Participant Demographics. 26

Table 3 - Descriptive Statistics for Total Population. 28

Table 4 - Descriptive Statistics Segmented by District 29

Table 5 - Descriptive Statistics by Age Group. 31

 

List of Figures

Figure 1 - Research Study Design. 16

Figure 2 - Analysis Summary. 33

Figure 3 - CARE Gender Marker 61

About this Master's Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	women's water access rural Zimbabwean women women's gendered relationship with water mixed-methods research Feminist Political Ecology framework
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Emily Ogutu, Emory University Bethany Caruso, Emory University

Last modified

Primary PDF

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions
	File download under embargo until 20 May 2026	2024-04-25 12:05:41 -0400	File download under embargo until 20 May 2026

Supplemental Files

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions