#8: This will not be the end!
If I am honest, I'm not quite sure how to end this series... I have thoroughly valued understanding, listening, and helping raise women's voices in parts of Africa who are not being heard as much as they should be. I have also learnt a lot throughout this writing experience that I'm very grateful to be able to share. I don't believe this is the end. In fact, I aim to continue this series after I graduate from university this coming summer because there is still so much to learn.
Alas, as we do reach what is currently the end, let's reflect. What began as me unpacking some of my life experiences and West African identity was just the beginning of a deeper investigative understanding into the complexities between water and gender towards women's empowerment and, thus, development. Assessing this focus' delivery against SDG 5 and SDG 6 enabled me to critically examine intrinsic socio-cultural components of this topic and its situational politics. Such as within period poverty, to unpack the ingrained effects of period shaming that are more pervasive in discouraging. Using an intersectional lens (Crenshaw 1989), I have better understood the hardship of disabled women in their fight for equality, empowerment, and development through sanitation, a basic need, made even.
Consequently, I have learnt there is no 'one-size-fits-all' in this sustainable water access for women's development framework, and there is certainly no 'quick-fix' as some developmental approaches, including participatory development sanitation schemes, allude... We must involve entire communities through an intersectional-lens (Crenshaw 1989) (SDG 10) to see more effective long-term change in women's empowerment and development from water. Not only will we see real change in SDG 5, SDG 6, and SDG 3, uplifting women through adequate sanitation provision (SDG 6) will aid the socio-economic development of entire communities, subsequently encouraging the success of SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 4, SDG 8, and SDG 11, in addition to the SDG's above.
I look forward to continuing to grow my understanding of this complex topic and I thank you again for your engagement.
Goodbye (for now)!
I have loved reading this blog!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing this journey with me Heather, I appreciate your interest and engagement.
DeleteI have really enjoyed reading your blog! It flows nicely and the structure is very clear which makes it easy to read. I'm sad it's going to be your last one for a while, I'm already looking forward to your next one.
ReplyDeleteThat is very kind of you Akua! I'm so glad this blog has been so enlightening for you and you have appreciated my structuring and flow throughout. I cannot wait to welcome you into the next series - stay tuned!
DeleteSo informative- thank you. You’ve inspired me to find out more about these topics - thank you!
ReplyDeletePam, I am so grateful my series has had a lasting impact on you and inspired you so much so to carry out additional reading and research! As I said, I am grateful to be in a position where I am able to share this information with my readers for exactly the reason you just said - inspiration, learning and doing!
DeleteI hope I will be seeing more from you in my upcoming series! And thank *you* for engaging and reading my blogs.