| dc.description.abstract | Adar village in West Darfur, Sudan, faces severe challenges due to armed conflict, water scarcity,
and gender disparities, which intersect to impact education and community well-being. This study
evaluates the impact of armed conflict on the water-education-gender (WEG) nexus, employing a
mixed-methods approach with data collected from 367 households and 12 community leaders
through structured questionnaires and interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 and
OriginPro 8.5, employing descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, and thematic coding.
The findings reveal that armed conflict has severely disrupted water infrastructure, with 49.3% of
respondents reporting unsafe water access and 45.4% noting depleted resources. Water quality
issues were widespread, with 68.1% of respondents citing pollution as the primary problem, and
56.7% rating the physical quality (taste, color, and odor) of water as poor. Gender disparities in
education were evident, as 81.2% of households had school-aged girls, but only 28.1% attended
school regularly, compared to 36.6% of boys, with 49% of girls miss school due to household
chores, including water collection. Water scarcity exacerbated gender roles, as 75% of water
collection tasks were performed by women and girls, leading to increased household stress and
reduced educational opportunities by 22.5%, 64.2% of the respondent said that conflicts make
women taking additional responsibilities, while 35% said, mean migrating for work in the urban
centers. Existing water management policies were largely ineffective, with 69.8% of respondents
reporting no policies or programs, and only 10.6% considering them highly effective. Community
driven initiatives, supported by NGOs 20.4%, were more prevalent than government involvement
(0.8%). 47% of the respondent said their alternative education arrangements response to conflicts.
80% of respondents state water scarcity contribution to conflict and the majority 79.5% of
respondents regarded dialogue as the main method for conflict resolution. The study concludes
that addressing water scarcity, improving infrastructure, and implementing gender-sensitive
policies are crucial for enhancing education and gender equity in conflict-affected regions. | en_US |
