This study examines how infrastructural violence is co-produced through the interaction of physical and social infrastructures, shaping gendered experiences of water insecurity in northern Peru. While prior research has demonstrated how inadequate physical water infrastructure produces unequal access and harm, less attention has been placed on how social infrastructures, such as gendered labor and water governance, interact with material systems to create compounded forms of harm. Drawing on qualitative data collected in January-February 2022 and April 2022 from interviews, focus groups, and a multistakeholder meeting in Tambogrande, Peru, we show that these intertwined systems produce a broad spectrum of adverse health outcomes, reproductive burdens, opportunity costs, and forms of gender-based violence. By doing so, we advance the concept of infrastructural violence by reconceptualizing it as an outcome of conjugated physical and social systems, rather than solely as a function of deficient material infrastructure or governance. By positioning social infrastructure as an equally constitutive force to physical infrastructure, this study provides a more precise framework for understanding how infrastructural inequities produce gendered harm in contexts characterized by resource scarcity and patriarchal norms. Our findings underscore the need for interventions that address both the material and social conditions shaping water access and burdens.

Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a global pandemic and water insecurity is increasing in intensity and extent. This study explores the association between these two global health threats. Cross-sectional, quantitative data were collected via surveys (n = 365 adult women) to measure household water insecurity (HWI) and women's experiences of GBV in the last year. Qualitative data were collected from semi-structured interviews (n = 24 men and women), two focus group discussions (n = 25 men and women) and a multi-stakeholder meeting (n = 35 men and women) to explore experiences, attitudes and risk factors associated with HWI and GBV. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that women in water insecure households were more than twice as likely to report experiencing GBV in the last year (OR = 2.2, CI: 1.0-4.9, p = 0.051). Examining household water insecurity scores as a continuous variable revealed an increased odds of reporting GBV with each increase in the HWISE score (OR = 1.1, CI: 1.0; 1.1, p < 0.001). Qualitative data indicates that the intersection between HWI, a patriarchal social organization and a caste system produced water-related conflicts between intimate partners, between daughters-in-law and their in-laws, and between masters and enslaved women. These results are presented using an integrated theoretical framework - a Feminist Political Ecology of Health (FPEH) - to illustrate the many ways women encounter and experience multi-dimensional forms of violence across scales in connection to water insecurity. The combination of robust qualitative and quantitative data presented in this study suggests that HWI may be causally related to GBV in this context.

Teenage pregnancy carries adverse consequences for health and well-being. In this article, we investigate the perceived causes, consequences and cycles of violence and disadvantage associated with teenage pregnancy in Tambogrande, Peru using an applied anthropological approach. Data were drawn from a larger project investigating the relationship between water insecurity and gender-based violence in Indonesia and Peru. The analysis presented here is derived from 49 semi-structured interviews and 5 focus groups with local community members and stakeholders in Peru. Study participants highlighted two main factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in Tambogrande: machismo and religious deterrents to contraceptive use. Participants described how these factors overlapped, resulting in gendered power imbalances that increased the risk of violence, decreased educational opportunities, and reduced the economic independence of women. However, study participants stated that educational interventions targeting machismo could reduce teenage pregnancy and break the associated cycle of disadvantage. Future research will further investigate local social and gender norms to inform the design of a rights-based educational intervention, targeting upstream factors associated with teenage pregnancy in this area.

We examined how study participants in Indonesia and Peru viewed the relationship between water insecurity and women's health via thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups. Participants reported that water insecurity led to vaginal infections, miscarriage, premature births, uterine prolapse, poor nutrition, restricted economic opportunities, and intergenerational cycles of poverty. Participants in both countries stated that extreme burdens associated with water insecurity should be categorized as violence. Based on these findings, we developed the concept of "gender-based water violence," defined as the spectrum of stressors associated with water insecurity that are so severe as to threaten human health and well-being, particularly that of women and girls.

Tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Women make up the majority of tourism and hospitality workers and are bearing the brunt of the impact of COVID-19. Evidence suggests that women's economic and productive lives will be disproportionately and differently affected, with the economic impacts lingering for many years after the end of the pandemic. Feminist political economics critiques the intertwined neo-liberal, patriarchal, capitalist structures, which are deemed to be at the root of the global crises society is facing. Using a critical, feminist perspective, this conceptual article explores alternative economic approaches. We suggest a Feminist Alternative Tourism Economics (FATE) approach, embracing an integration of Feminist Ethic of Care, Social Solidarity Economy and Human Rights Based Economy, critiqued through the lens of decolonisation, could present an alternative pathway to achieving a more gender just society and tourism system. We argue a focus on feminist values of care, solidarity and Human Rights could provide a chance for tackling major global climate and pandemic emergencies by reducing crisis vulnerability and increasing resilience and sustainability.

We reviewed the existing literature documenting the association between water insecurity and gender‐based violence to (1) describe the characteristics and contexts of available studies, and (2) identify and classify documented gender‐based violence across domains of water insecurity (access, affordability, adequacy, reliability, and safety). 18 peer‐reviewed articles mentioned associations between water insecurity and gender‐based violence. All studies were conducted in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia and were published in English. The most common manifestation of the relationship between water insecurity and gender‐based violence was an increased risk of sexual and physical violence for women who walked long distances to access water. This was followed by intimate partner violence sparked by the inability to meet domestic obligations due to household water inadequacy. Despite these trends, the domains of water insecurity, and the types of violence experienced by women, were often intertwined. We conclude that there is a dearth of information assessing gender‐based violence and water insecurity, especially in Latin America, North America, and Southeast Asia, and involving locally‐based scholars. We suggest that the spectrum of what is considered “violence” in relation to water insecurity be expanded and that scholars and practitioners adopt the term “gender‐based water violence” to describe water‐related stressors that are so extreme as to threaten human health and well‐being, particularly that of women and girls. Finally, we encourage the development of cross‐culturally validated measures of gender‐based violence, which can be deployed in conjunction with standardized measures of water insecurity, to evaluate interventions that target these linked threats to global health.

This article explores the intersect between the human right to water, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the reality of hotels water use. Our qualitative study was based on semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and focus groups with hoteliers, government agencies and community stakeholders in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It examines the challenges faced by hoteliers to respect the human right to water and why hotels do not voluntarily adopt the Guiding Principles. The impeding factors identified include a lack of awareness, a lack of substantive voluntary schemes, the water tariff, the absence of data management; return on investment, profit and public image prioritized over environmental considerations; and inadequate regulations and their enforcement. Our study also indicates the potential of combining a human right to water impact assessment within the existing EIA to reform hotels water management and improve their water stewardship. In doing so, hotel water management would move beyond the domain of the hotel to consider their impact on the local community. This, the first study to take a human rights-based approach to the study of hotel’s water use, also identifies the further research required on this topic: legal enforcement and community participation.

Using case studies from Indonesia, Australia and Fiji, this chapter presents an alternative model for operationalising resilience. It takes a holistic approach and argues that islands and the communities that live on them are interconnected; thus, they are subject to both internal and external influences. The chapter argues that the forces that shape islands extend beyond local boundaries connecting islands socially, financially and ecologically to the global system. It also argues that resilience is non-linear and may exist in many different forms; this supports the agency that exists within communities and which can be resistant to monetary influence.

This chapter explores how acknowledging water as a human right affects government, business, and local communities in tourism. Tourism businesses have the responsibility to respect and protect the right to water, which aligns with the SDGs, particularly SDGs 5, 6, and 10. When the human right to water is not protected and respected, multifaceted violations occur and the potential for tourism to contribute to sustainable development will be undermined. The chapter suggests ways to improve tourism water management and prevent human rights abuses. By adopting responsible water management practices and engaging in partnerships with local communities, the tourism industry can help to promote the realization of the human right to water while also contributing to sustainable tourism.

This paper explores the role of activist-academics to bring attention to Bali's water crisis. The impact case study examines how we shaped public discourse, supported NGOs, influenced the local tourism industry, and nudged government policy. We critically evaluate how as change makers we enhanced knowledge exchange, and the factors that supported impactful tourism and water nexus research. We explore how the unintended consequences of our “crisis” research have undermined our impact by being used to justify new unsustainable development projects, and how the power of the tourism industry has shaped legislation. From this we identify the lessons learned for creating impactful research including purpose, partners, time frame and on-going contact.

Household survey data from 27 sites in 22 countries were collected in 2017–2018 in order to construct and validate a cross-cultural household-level water insecurity scale. The resultant Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale presents a useful tool for monitoring and evaluating water interventions as a complement to traditional metrics used by the development community. It can also help track progress toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 ‘clean water and sanitation for all’. We present HWISE scale scores from 27 sites as comparative data for future studies using the HWISE scale in low- and middle-income contexts. Site-level mean scores for HWISE-12 (scored 0–36) ranged from 1.64 (SD 4.22) in Pune, India, to 20.90 (7.50) in Cartagena, Colombia, while site-level mean scores for HWISE-4 (scored 0–12) ranged from 0.51 (1.50) in Pune, India, to 8.21 (2.55) in Punjab, Pakistan. Scores tended to be higher in the dry season as expected. Data from this first implementation of the HWISE scale demonstrate the diversity of water insecurity within and across communities and can help to situate findings from future applications of this tool.

This international literature review of the tourism-water nexus identifies a gender gap. Tourism development can affect water supply both quantitatively and qualitatively. Many regions will face considerable problems of water availability and quality, affecting their tourism sector and increasing competition with local residents, and other industries especially agriculture. This international review of literature explores the tourism-water nexus, comparing and contrasting literature published in English, Chinese, and Spanish. Securing access to safe water for continued tourism development is a common theme and the vast majority of work has focused on hotels including water pricing, water-saving practices and innovative management methods. In all continents, struggles are apparent, and the unsustainability of tourism is having impacts on water quantity and quality. This article identifies significant gaps in the literature including climate change, the energy-water nexus, and the links with the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, studies from a gendered perspective are minimal and the potential for areas of further gendered studies within the tourism-water nexus are highlighted including intersectionality, water insecurity and sanitation, tourism and gender based violence, and additional unpaid care work. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Rights to Water

Objective Progress towards equitable and sufficient water has primarily been measured by population-level data on water availability. However, higher-resolution measures of water accessibility, adequacy, reliability and safety (ie, water insecurity) are needed to understand how problems with water impact health and well-being. Therefore, we developed the Household Water InSecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale to measure household water insecurity in an equivalent way across disparate cultural and ecological settings. Methods Cross-sectional surveys were implemented in 8127 households across 28 sites in 23 low-income and middle-income countries. Data collected included 34 items on water insecurity in the prior month; sociodemographics; water acquisition, use and storage; household food insecurity and perceived stress. We retained water insecurity items that were salient and applicable across all sites. We used classical test and item response theories to assess dimensionality, reliability and equivalence. Construct validity was assessed for both individual and pooled sites using random coefficient models. Findings Twelve items about experiences of household water insecurity were retained. Items showed unidimensionality in factor analyses and were reliable (Cronbach's alpha 0.84 to 0.93). The average non-invariance rate was 0.03% (threshold <25%), indicating equivalence of measurement and meaning across sites. Predictive, convergent and discriminant validity were also established. Conclusions The HWISE Scale measures universal experiences of household water insecurity across low-income and middle-income countries. Its development ushers in the ability to quantify the prevalence, causes and consequences of household water insecurity, and can contribute an evidence base for clinical, public health and policy recommendations regarding water.

This paper explores the interconnections between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tourism from a gender perspective. It is the first paper to take a critical analysis of how SDG 5 relates to tourism, and how tourism and gender equality interconnects with the other SDGs. First, we analyse the recent gender sensitive sustainable development agenda in order to set out the challenges – both past and present – that any sector involved in sustainable development faces. We then explore the links between the SDGs and tourism development from a gender perspective. In the third part of the paper, based on the field experiences of the authors, we use the examples of SDG 6 (“clean water and sanitation”) and SDG 8 (“sustainable economic growth and decent work”) to highlight the interconnections between gender equality and the other SDGs. Finally, we suggest some tools to help tourism businesses improve their performance with respect to gender equality thereby enhancing their capacity to contribute towards the achievement of the SDGs. We argue that, without tackling gender equality in a meaningful and substantive way, tourism’s potential to contribute to the SDGs will be reduced and sustainable tourism will remain an elusive “pot of gold”.

IntroductionA wide range of water-related problems contribute to the global burden of disease. Despite the many plausible consequences for health and well-being, there is no validated tool to measure individual- or household-level water insecurity equivalently across varying cultural and ecological settings. Accordingly, we are developing the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale to measure household-level water insecurity in multiple contexts.Methods and analysisAfter domain specification and item development, items were assessed for both content and face validity. Retained items are being asked in surveys in 28 sites globally in which water-related problems have been reported (eg, shortages, excess water and issues with quality), with a target of at least 250 participants from each site. Scale development will draw on analytic methods from both classical test and item response theories and include item reduction and factor structure identification. Scale evaluation will entail assessments of reliability, and predictive, convergent, and discriminant validity, as well as the assessment of differentiation between known groups.Ethics and disseminationStudy activities received necessary ethical approvals from institutional review bodies relevant to each site. We anticipate that the final HWISE Scale will be completed by late 2018 and made available through open-access publication. Associated findings will be disseminated to public health professionals, scientists, practitioners and policymakers through peer-reviewed journals, scientific presentations and meetings with various stakeholders. Measures to quantify household food insecurity have transformed policy, research and humanitarian aid efforts globally, and we expect that an analogous measure for household water insecurity will be similarly impactful.

This chapter explains why gender equality and women's empowerment are a concern in tourism. It introduces the reader to the development and empowerment literature, before moving on to review studies of tourism and empowerment. Finally, some considerations that would seem critical in understanding the gender dynamics in tourism are highlighted.