Water is life. There is the same amount of fresh water on our planet as there has always been, yet the world’s population has exploded, creating a freshwater crisis. For women, this water crisis is exceptionally personal. In many countries where access to freshwater is limited at best, women are responsible for securing a freshwater resource for their family’s drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, and sanitation.

Women And Water

Women and girls make the frequently daily miles-long treks to freshwater sources to collect water in inadequate containers before beginning the sometimes dangerous journey back to their homes. If the water source is close to home, women may stand in line for hours just to pay exorbitant prices to receive insufficient life-sustaining fluids. Faced with impossible choices and unsanitary conditions, women are negatively impacted by the environmental, social, and political restrictions on freshwater sources.

Safety And Sustaining Life

In countries where freshwater sources are scarce, women spend most of their day securing water for their family’s needs. Many women and girls do not participate in educational opportunities as they simply have no time to spare when water is needed for their family’s sanitation, health, and hygiene.

When pregnant, access to safe water becomes crucial for developing the baby and the mother’s health. Journeys to water sources can be dangerous for pregnant women who must carry heavy vessels filled with water for long distances. Moreover, contaminated water poses a severe threat to mom and her unborn child, making it imperative to have a safe freshwater source close to home.

Empowerment Of Women Through Freshwater Resources

Women are the backbones of their communities around the world. When safe, clean freshwater resources are at hand, women are empowered to lift their families and communities, thriving beyond surviving.

No longer facing unsafe and unsanitary conditions, women can begin to build businesses, work outside of the home, finish their education, plant gardens, and devote resources to their children’s wellbeing. Simply put, freshwater access provides life-sustaining support and life-fulfilling opportunities for women across the globe.

Increasing Opportunities For Fresh Water Access

Understanding the issues surrounding freshwater access for women involves many studies; what works in one region of the world may not be advantageous in another. Well-building can bring fresh water to communities as well as provide necessary hydration for livestock and agriculture.

Supplying drought-stricken communities and those distant from adequate water sources with freshwater supplies can provide the necessary relief needed to survive.

What we do can create a remarkable difference in the lives of millions of women and children whose access to clean, safe freshwater is restricted.