Invisible women: barriers for women professionals in the water, energy, food, and environment sectors in Nepal

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dc.creatorBuchy, Marlene
dc.creatorElias, M.
dc.creatorKhadka, Manohara
dc.date2023-09-28
dc.date2023-09-29T17:05:29Z
dc.date2023-09-29T17:05:29Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T18:31:51Z
dc.descriptionDespite evidence of women’s roles and expertise in the management of water, energy, food, and the environment (WEFE), the WEFE literature is almost silent on gender issues. In the context of climate change, achieving more inclusive management of natural resources is vital; yet women continue to be underrepresented as professionals in WEFE sectors, and largely absent in leadership positions. Using Nepal as a case study, this paper explores the enduring barriers to their exclusion, and entry points for greater equity among professionals in these sectors. To do so, we draw on key informant interviews with 34 male and 31 women professionals from government, civil society, non-governmental organizations and consultants, as well as a roundtable discussion with 20 women professionals specifically focused on gender barriers in these sectors in Nepal. Drawing on Gaventa (2006)’s power cube, this paper examines how power dynamics within and between the public and the private spheres create a web of barriers that conflate to sideline women professionals. While women have reached the “closed space” as defined by Gaventa (i.e., are recruited to professional positions in WEFE sectors), different sources of “hidden” and “invisible” power at play in the public and private spheres continue to limit their participation, influence and decision-making. We argue that the continued marginalization of women professionals calls for a focus on understanding the power and intersectionality dynamics that sustain exclusion. This focus is critical for the development of strategies to increase the voice and leadership of women professionals in WEFE decision-making.
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/132069
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/158580
dc.languageen
dc.publisherFrontiers Media
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceBuchy, Marlene; Elias, M.; Khadka, Manohara. 2023. Invisible women: barriers for women professionals in the water, energy, food, and environment sectors in Nepal. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1146187. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1146187]
dc.subjectgender equality
dc.subjectsocial inclusion
dc.subjectrole of women
dc.subjectbarriers
dc.subjectleadership
dc.subjectwater management
dc.subjectenergy
dc.subjectfood production
dc.subjectenvironment
dc.subjectnexus approaches
dc.subjectclimate change
dc.subjectsocial norms
dc.subjectdecision making
dc.subjectmarginalization
dc.subjectdiscrimination
dc.subjectcaste systems
dc.subjectethnicity
dc.subjectsexual harassment
dc.subjectpublic sector
dc.subjectprivate sector
dc.subjectnon-governmental organizations
dc.subjectpolicies
dc.titleInvisible women: barriers for women professionals in the water, energy, food, and environment sectors in Nepal
dc.typeJournal Article

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Instituto Internacional para el Manejo del Agua (IWMI)