Alternative water use in promoting the empowerment of women in rural areas of Nigeria

Water scarcity in rural areas has far-reaching socioeconomic implications especially for women and girls in rural areas who are primarily responsible for water collection. The limited water resources exacebate poverty and already existing gender inequalities. This study will analyze how rainwater harvesting promotes the empowerment of rural women. The study employ a multistage sampling technique to collect primary data from 1200 rural women. Logit model will be used to determine the factors influencing women’s use of rainwater harvesting in rural areas while a two-staged least square model will be employed to estimate the effect of rainwater harvesting on the empowerment status of rural women. The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Index will be used to measure women’s empowerment. Hausman’s test of endogeneity will be employed to confirm the presence of endogeneity. The research will provide valuable insights for water policies to address water scarcity, taking into account gender perspectives.