Water for Women celebrates International Women's Day
8th March
Through our work every day, Water for Women celebrates and empowers women.
Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive and in the face of increasing risk from climate change, gender equality is also crucial in building community resilience and combatting climate change.
International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8th March, provides an opportunity to highlight the importance and the value of empowering women through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects, which can help build resilient communities and deliver more sustainable and effective outcomes in WASH and beyond.
Women play a fundamental role in day-to-day community life, and yet all too often, are left out of the decision making around community WASH planning, even decisions about their own WASH needs.
Recognising and valuing the critical contributions of women as decision makers, stakeholders, educators, carers and experts across sectors and at all levels is key to a sustainable, climate-resilient future. Without their voices at the table, this won’t happen.
It is crucial to ensure that this work does not come at an additional cost to women by adding to their already heavy workloads. That is why gender and social inclusion and do no harm approaches are embedded across Water for Women.
Changing mindsets in a changing climate - water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) delivery offers an important entry point to facilitate positive changes in social norms, attitudes and gender relations.
In Asian and Pacific communities, Water for Women partners are delivering inclusive, accessible and sustainable WASH services and programs, and strengthening the support systems required to ensure the benefits are lasting, socially equitable and help to build resilient communities.
Below you can explore our International Women's Day campaigns from years past.
Women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis as health care workers, caregivers, policymakers, activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, business leaders and community organisers. The global pandemic has highlighted the disproportionate burdens that women carry and the importance of women’s contributions to decision making. Across the globe and in many partner projects, women are leading organisations, institutions and community groups carrying out effective and inclusive COVID-19 responses.
“I want to encourage women and children because they benefit the most [from WASH]… if women see other women taking the lead then they will have the courage to speak. If they don’t see other women stepping forward, then they feel hesitant. This is especially true for women in rural communities," says Winnie from Papua New Guinea
Inadequate access to water affects everyone's health and wellbeing, but the burden of this lack of access falls more heavily on women, due to their roles in bearing children and more often being the primary caregivers in the family (for children, elderly relatives and/or PWD). Water scarcity and water-borne diseases can hit women and girls the hardest because of these reproductive and domestic roles.
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