ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on research, carried out over two years, that looked at rural water supplies in Nepal provided by an NGO (Nepal Water for Health), a bilateral project (Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project), and the government (Fourth Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project). Gender mainstreaming demands that the existing male bias in policies and practices to be addressed, and men and women to be treated equally at work. Although some attempts have been made to address gender mainstreaming in the water sector in Nepal, it has been little understood and applied only on an ad hoc basis; it is seen as something new, strange, and even unwanted in the water sector. This research shows the critical importance of developing a better understanding of the structure of the societies where water agencies have to operate. The organizational environment has historically favoured of men and the drinking water sector in Nepal is no exception.
