The burden of collecting and transporting water predominantly falls to female household members in cultures across the world. This costs hours each day, requiring many girls to skip school in order to keep up with the demand. On top of the costs to girls’ education, carrying the weight of water each day can cause life-long health problems. Water sources themselves, which include rivers and holes in the ground, threatens women and girls’ lives. The journey to and from sources of water can also be dangerous, putting women and girls at risk of harassment and sexual assault. Globally, women spend 200 million hours a day collecting water. Establishing water security improves gender equality for health, resources and safety.

WaterAid

By installing water pumps and wells in rural communities, organizations like WaterAid allow girls more time at school. In this instance, water security improves gender equality in education. Tsehaynesh is just one of the thousands whose lives have changed through reliable access to water. Her responsibility of collecting water from a spring for her family used to mean that she was often late for school. Since the installation of three pumps in her village of Derekwa in Ethiopia, the 15-year-old can attend school and she is working toward her dream of becoming a nurse.

Currently, a woman gives birth every two seconds without safe water, a toilet or hygienic equipment. Clean water and sanitation are vital in maternity centers, allowing women to experience secure and dignified childbirth. Doctors, midwives and mothers practicing good hygiene reduce the risk of infection, birth complications and maternal and infantile death.

How Sanitation Access Can Help

Providing access to sanitation also protects women’s safety and dignity. In areas without toilets, men, women and children must go outside, with women often waiting until it gets dark for privacy. This puts them at a greater risk of violence and rape, as well as long-term bladder problems.

For girls on their periods, poor hygiene and no decent toilets make school much harder. This is so much so that many girls stay home for days at a time each month, missing out on valuable education. In many cultures, periods are still a stigmatized topic, preventing girls from accessing the help they need. Fitting toilets and taps in schools, educating teachers about their female students’ needs, and including men and boys in conversations about menstrual hygiene can all help girls to access education while on their periods.

How Water Security Improves Gender Equality

The UN has emphasized the link between changing weather patterns and water insecurity as extreme weather events, floods, drought and tropical storms become more frequent and intense. Limited rainfall, damaged pipes and contaminated water impact already vulnerable communities the most. This includes people in rural areas, low-income households, children and women. Through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and nonprofits such as WaterAid, projects can help improve the status and development of women through access to water. Women included in leadership can make decisions that benefit all.

– Lydia Greene
Photo: Flickr