Gender Inequality in Water Scarcity Crisis and Its Consequences (The case of the Rural area of South Khorasan, Iran)

In recent years, Iran is facing a severe water shortage crisis, which has increasingly affected the residents of local communities. In Iran, as in most parts of the world, rural women play the main role in collecting, supplying, distributing and protecting water and are among the closest witnesses of water changes. In this article, we addressed the question of how gender inequality works during the water shortage crisis and what the consequences of this situation include and how gender equality and justice can be developed in the face of water shortage and drought. The present study was conducted using a qualitative method using library documents, semi-structured interviews with 16 village women and men, and field observation in the villages of South Khorasan, Iran. Based on the data obtained from the thematic analysis, 5 codes were extracted, including the cultural norm, the valuation of social division of labor, the law of land ownership, and the way of participation of women and men in the management of resources. Based on the results, improving women's awareness and knowledge with the aim of building capacity in the governance of local water resources, along with reforming and changing property laws and creating mechanisms for the active participation of women in local communities in managing water resources and valuing women's activities in water by creating opportunities The entry of women into the formal economy can lead to gender equality in the issue of water scarcity and reducing the negative consequences of inequality and injustice in the water scarcity crisis for the benefit of women in the rural of South Khorasan of Iran. Changing traditional roles and creating new ways of cooperation between men and women in solving water issues is one of the lessons learned from this research.