Water worries: An intersectional feminist political ecology of tourism and water in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

Cole, Stroma

Abstract

© 2017 Framed in feminist political ecology, this paper presents an intersectional analysis of the gender-water-tourism nexus. Based in an emergent tourism destination, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, it goes beyond an analysis of how women bear the brunt of burdens related to water scarcity, and examines which women and why and how it affects their daily lives. Based on ethnographic research and speaking to over 100 respondents, the analysis unpicks how patriarchal cultural norms, ethnicity, socio-economic status, life-stage and proximity to water sources are intertwined to (re)produce gendered power relations. While there is heterogeneity of lived experiences, in the most part tourism is out competing locals for access to water leading to women suffering in multiple ways.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 21, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Sep 7, 2017
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Sep 12, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 7, 2019
• Journal: Annals of Tourism Research
• Print ISSN: 0160-7383
• Publisher: Elsevier Masson
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 67
• Pages: 14-24
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2017.07.018
• Keywords: gender, water, Indonesia, intersectionality, patriarchy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/878240
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2017.07.018
• Contract Date: Sep 12, 2017