The water crisis disproportionately affects women and girls in a variety of ways. They are frequently in charge of collecting water for their households, which can be a time-consuming and difficult task. As a result, they have little time to devote to education or other productive endeavors. The water crisis exacerbates existing gender inequalities and places a significant burden on women and girls, resulting in health problems, decreased economic opportunities, and gender-based violence.
Due to a lack of access to safe and clean water, women and girls are more likely to contract diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid fever as a result of drinking contaminated water. Furthermore, the time-consuming task of collecting water can take several hours per day, leaving little time for education or earning an income.
Furthermore, a lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities can lead to girls dropping out of school because they must frequently stay at home to collect water or because menstrual hygiene facilities are unavailable. Women and girls may face gender-based violence while collecting water because they are frequently forced to walk long distances to reach water sources in remote areas, leaving them vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault.
To address these issues, it is critical to implement measures that reduce the impact of the water crisis on women and girls. Improving access to clean water, implementing water conservation measures, and empowering women and girls through education and training are some of the measures that can be taken to alleviate their burden. Furthermore, promoting gender-sensitive water policies, providing access to sanitation facilities, addressing cultural and social norms that perpetuate gender inequalities, and providing economic opportunities for women can all help to reduce women’s reliance on collecting water for their households.
A gender-sensitive approach is required to ensure that women and girls can participate fully in water management and decision-making.