In an overview of the evolving debates on gender and irrigation in the past two decades, this paper argues that the success of today's policy attention on a blanket policy on gender and irrigation is at the same time its weakness. Two key variations need to be specified for any gender policy to become sufficiently specific to have any teeth. First, gender issues critically differ in female/dual farming systems and male farming systems. Second, water for productive and domestic uses need to be recognized and developed in an integrated way, for both men and women.

English