Water and Gender in Africa

The acceleration of urbanisation will increase pressures on water resources, with Africa being forecasted to experience the most growth ( OECD,2019 ). Poor access to sanitation or water increases the risk of violence for women which also impoverishes their families, communities and societies ( Amnesty,2020 ).  This post will unravel the implications of gender based violence (GBV) on women and girls’ abilities to access WASH facilities and initiatives seeking to address this. GBV and WASH in urban informal settlements   GBV can significantly impact access to adequate water sanitation and hygiene for women and girls and in some cases boys and men.   As the world recently marked world toilet day (Nov 19) it emphasises how without toilets  basic hygiene practices are compromised.  In Makuu informal settlement in south-east Nairobi Kenya, ‘going to the toilet’ is not just a public health or infrastructural matter but also a matter of p...

It is widely recognised that sanitation and health are heavily influenced by availability and access to water. This is evident in SDG goal 6.2 which emphasises  sanitation for all  ( UNWater,2016 ) where WASH is the subject to dedicated targets. In my previous post I brushed upon the impact of distant water supplies on the ability for individuals in rural areas to maintain personal hygiene. This post will further develop on this by highlighting the impacts of a lack of WASH facilities for menstrual health management (MHM). As we will find out  MHM is important to address because it is not exclusively linked to sanitation, but also to other SDG’s relating to gender empowerment and education  ( UNICEF,2019 ). Source WASH facilities for rural communities In Zambia most girls reported that their main challenges include the lack of provision of sanitary materials leading to use of uncomfortable materials   ( Chinyama et al 2019 ) , something that is common across SSA su...

In many parts of the globe, surviving without a running tap within the household requires seeking alternatives: walking for water. My mother who grew up in rural Bangladesh in the 1960s often reminds me of her childhood experiences of waking up at dawn with other children and women to collect water from the unmonitored local river. This is still a reality for many. This post will focus on the gender inequalities surrounding water collection by looking at a study by Graham et al (2016)  on water collection in 24 SSA countries.  Over two-thirds of the population report leaving their homes to collect water (ibid.). Fleifel et al, ( 2019 ) highlights t hat the unequal responsibilities around water-related tasks  is a result of water insecurity, something we have discussed in a previous post. This inequality invites exposure to violence, ill-health and female disempowerment. Table 1: Water Collection in 24 Sub- Saharan countries in Africa source In the 24 SSA countries studie...

This blog will highlight the discrepancies in current ways water scarcity is measured and highlight how water scarcity is not synonymous to water access. It will also underline how economic water scarcity facilitates gender disparities, through the arising inequalities surrounding groundwater use and access in Ethiopia. Many development goals seek to address water scarcity as the uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water, combined with population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation and intensive agriculture, has resulted in increased pressures on water resources globally ( Demie et al, 2016 ). Water Scarcity in Africa Firstly, the definition of physical water scarcity and economic scarcity should be distinguished. Whilst the former can be a result of insufficient water available from the water cycle ( Oki,2019 ), the latter occurs when there is a lack of access due to the failure of institutions to ensure adequate infrastructure for a regular supply of water ( UNWater,2018 ...