Public Infrastructure and Private Costs: Water Supply and Time Allocation of Women in Rural Pakistan

Abstract

The role of infrastructure in promoting development has been established. It is noted that improvements in infrastructure increase the efficiency of production. In this case study the authors investigated how the quality and quantity of infrastructure affect the time women in Pakistan allocate to their various activities. The focus is on the relationship between access to water--at both the household and the community levels--and the time allocation of rural women who have the primary responsibility for water collection. Findings indicate that changes in the availability of infrastructure affect time use both at the household and individual levels. At the household level it is shown that poor infrastructure induces women to reduce their market-oriented work and thus their contribution to household income. Moreover poor infrastructure also causes an increase in the total work burden of women and a decrease in leisure. However with improved public water-supply infrastructure the total time women spend in all activities would be lowered with a substitution of water collection and income-generating activities. In addition a public water-supply system may also reduce the pathogen content of water thereby improving its quality. This increase in quality will most likely to bring health and sanitary benefits.