A group of researchers, including SSPSSR Lecturer Dr Trude Sundberg, have worked together with LGBTQ+ community groups in South Asia, and particularly Kolkata, India to uncover issues related to water security.
They found that as well as issues relating to water access and toilets in their houses, community groups also had to negotiate hostilities when queuing for water outside of their houses. Dr Sundberg explains the study findings and how more research into culture and gender norms is needed to understand the barriers that different genders face. They said:
‘Water security relates to physical, environmental, and societal barriers to access, availability, and quality of water for drinking, food production, hygiene, and sanitation. This is a human rights issue recognised by the United Nations’ sustainable development goal 6 (SDG).
‘We worked with groups from the LGBTQ+ communities to fully understand what issues these communities face in relation to water, but also to create sustainable solutions with these groups.
‘Our research shows that gender matters along a gender continuum – from someone’s biological sex to their gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. We need to analyse each locality and its local culture and gender norms, and involve communities, to fully understand the barriers and issues different genders live.
‘In our work with the hijra community we identified issues not only to access water or having availability of water or toilets in their houses but also how they have to negotiate hostilities when queuing for water outside of their houses. They also have particular hygiene needs. Furthermore, due to their lack of ability to work, or the type of work they can carry out – often sex work – sanitation and water is crucial for health and safety.’
Visit here for more information on a series of workshop related to the project and here for the research team’s latest article on water security and social exclusion in Kolkata.
In recognition of LGBT+ History Month, the University of Kent is celebrating the research being carried out across the University in relation to LGBT+ communities and the efforts to bring change for the future.