Women and the Risks of Using Polluted River Water: A Pioneering Study on the Marginalization of Women from an Ecofeminist Perspective, a Unique Contribution to the Field of Ecofeminism

Abstract

Various studies have shown that gender-based inequality in water governance and urban development is a significant challenge for women. This is especially true because most of their tasks are related to water collection and management, yet their opinions are often ignored in water management decisions. As a result, women experience economic disadvantages due to difficulties accessing clean water and sanitation services. This survey study aims to identify the use of river water for daily needs by housewives living in three cities (Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Kediri) located on the banks of the Brantas River, East Java, Indonesia. An ecofeminist perspective is used in this study to determine whether women can address the problem of water pollution in their environment or, conversely, whether they experience marginalization due to their low ecological knowledge. This study found that: (1) housewives living on the banks of the Brantas River do not yet have sufficient awareness and knowledge regarding the quality of polluted Brantas River water; (2) they also experience vulnerability, especially to their own health and that of their families, where this vulnerability arises due to the habits and lifestyles they lead in interacting with river water, coupled with low levels of knowledge about the dangers of polluted river water, as well as the low economic conditions and social status of communities along the Brantas River Basin; (3) these women also experience structural marginalization, where external parties who work to provide knowledge and awareness to the community do not carry out their functions and women are not encouraged to participate in improving their fate.