World Water Day is observed on March 22, with the aim of raising awareness about this resource and encouraging action to address the global water crisis. Currently, 1.8 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water in their homes, and in two out of every three households, women are primarily responsible for fetching water.
Where water flows, equality grows
This year, the theme of World Water Day is “Where water flows, equality grows.” The global water crisis affects us all, though not equally. In places where people lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation near their homes, inequalities are exacerbated; and it is women and girls who suffer the worst consequences.
According to studies conducted by the UN, women and girls are responsible for collecting and managing water in their households, as well as caring for those who fall ill due to the consumption of unsafe water. They are the ones who sacrifice their time, health, safety, and opportunities.
Therefore, to address the water crisis, it is important to adopt a transformative, rights-based approach that listens to women’s voices and recognizes their capacity for action.
It is essential that women are equitably represented at all levels of water-related leadership and that they participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives and health.
Likewise, women must drive change on water issues as engineers, farmers, scientists, sanitation workers, and community leaders.
In a context marked by risks related to climate change, it is crucial that everyone be able to fully play their role in managing water as a common good to strengthen our planning for the future of the planet and humanity.
Drop by drop, we can create a wave of change
Water can be a powerful force for achieving gender equality, but this requires all of us to do our part. Citizens, schools, organizations, businesses, and government agencies all play a vital role in ensuring that where water flows, equality flourishes.
Women must shape the future of water. Water services must be resilient to climate change and meet the needs of all people. To solve the water crisis, we must fully recognize women’s voices, leadership, and capacity for action.
When women and girls participate on an equal footing in decisions about water, water services become more inclusive, sustainable, and effective. We must invest in women’s leadership to make water a driving force for a healthier, more prosperous, and more gender-equal future that benefits us all.
Water and equality by the numbers
According to UN Women, more than 1 billion women—more than a quarter of all women worldwide (27.1%)—lack access to safely managed drinking water services.
In the 53 countries for which data is available, women and girls spend 250 million hours a day collecting water—more than three times as much as men and boys.
Every day, approximately 1,000 children under the age of five die worldwide due to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene.
By: Juan Carlos Ugarelli.
World Water Day is observed on March 22, with the aim of raising awareness about this resource and encouraging action to address the global water crisis. Currently, 1.8 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water in their homes, and in two out of every three households, women are primarily responsible for fetching water.
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El Día Mundial del Agua se conmemora el 22 de marzo, con el objetivo de crear conciencia sobre este recurso y fomentar la adopción de medidas para hacer frente a la crisis mundial del agua. En la actualidad, 1 800 millones de personas siguen careciendo de agua potable en sus hogares y, en dos de cada tres hogares, las mujeres son las principales responsables de ir a buscar el agua.
