PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988-2001 9 Women's involvement: a switch in thinking, Hoto, Pakistan

Document begins: PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988­2001 9 Women's involvement: a switch in thinking, Hoto, Pakistan Nahida Aziz and Sarah Halvorson Introduction people were able to `switch their thinking' in order to address their water problems. This One of the greatest barriers to improving the was a major achievement that came out of a water situation in Hoto in Northern Pakistan process of dialogue. has been a heated dispute on water rights with Not just a duty for men the village of Pakora. The origins of the conflict lie in the history of a water supply scheme implemented by the government 11 The initial meetings were held with the male years ago. A spring was constructed in Hoto members of the community (see Figure 1) , without considering the traditional water rights who did not allow the PAR team to meet with in this hilly region. Pakora began using the the women. The men distrusted these water as well by diverting it from the `outsiders' and feared that they would prove to distribution pipeline from the Hoto scheme. be `agents of negative change' in a village in The dispute became increasingly heated and which the women follow a strict form of ...