Photo credit: Water Aid

By Carmen Taboada

Globally, people increasingly depend on natural resources and, even though in many regions women carry a disproportionate responsibility for securing water, they still have less access to it. Additionally, it must be acknowledged that climate change does not affect women and girls uniformly around the world.

Climate change is a threat multiplier, so it escalates social, political and economic tensions, as well as gender inequalities, in fragile or conflict-affected situations. 

The climate crisis is not gender-neutral and thus amplifies existing gender inequalities and creates additional ones. This happens because women and girls experience climate change impacts more severely than men. This is what we emphasize at EmpoderaClima.

But where does water fit in all of this? Why is it important?

Water is necessary not only for drinking, but also for food production and preparation, industrial work, care of domestic animals, personal hygiene, healthcare, cleaning, washing and waste disposal. According to Isabela Espindola, Membership Engagement Officer at the International Water Association (IWA)*,  "everything is interconnected and we can see that in the 2030 Agenda: water is a connector between all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)". 

Water is the main element that composes the human body and many other organisms, and because of that, it is especially through water that humans feel climate change. In other words, climate change affects the water cycle, causing extreme weather events, altering water availability, compromising water quality and biodiversity, and affecting sanitation and hygiene. 

Water stress and competition are on the rise. According to the United Nations, "4.8-5.7 billion people will live in areas that are water-scarce for at least one month each year, up from 3.6 billion today". In addition, 90% of large-scale disasters caused by natural threats are a result of floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts and other water-related events. Patriarchal structures and their established gender roles have exacerbated water inequality.

The intersection of Gender and Water

In 2010, safe and clean drinking water was considered a human right by the United Nations General Assembly. Since then, due to its social significance, water has been unquestionably intertwined with societal dynamics, including gender roles. 

The management of water is traditionally associated with women in the private and domestic sphere, and with men in the public and monetary sphere, as well as in the governance of water resources.

Also, it is important to take note that, in most societies, women have primary responsibility for managing the household water supply, as well as sanitation and health. According to an UN Water Policy Brief, “because of their dependence on water resources, women have accumulated considerable knowledge about the subject, including location, quality and storage methods”. However, many times, efforts and policies related to improving the management of water resources and extending access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation disregard the central role of women in water management.

Besides that, long journeys on foot, often more than once a day, can leave women and girls vulnerable to health problems and harassment, and this burden often prevents them from going to school or earning an income. In 80% of the households where water is not available on premises, it is women and girls who are responsible for its collection.

A report from GenderCC - Women for Climate Justice - states that in Tanzania and Yemen, reducing the amount of time by one hour collecting water led to 9% and 19% respectively higher rates of girls' enrolled in school.

Additionally, people who menstruate (women, girls and the LGBTQIA+ community) have specific hygiene needs. A clean, functional, lockable, gender-safe space is needed, with access to sanitary products and disposal systems for them to manage menstrual hygiene and pregnancy. In other words, Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is another very relevant and neglected WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) issue that affects women and girls, and it deepens due to the stigma that surrounds menstruation and also because of the impacts of climate change in clean water availability. Since women and girls are disproportionately affected by inadequate WASH services, they are often excluded from related debates, reinforcing the existing patterns of marginalization.

As a result, women have less power and control over water resources because they are underrepresented at higher levels of water governance. For example, ministries of water around the world rarely have a gender focal point. At this high level, gender considerations are rarely taken into account for policies and specific programmes. It is absolutely necessary to empower women in water and sanitation discussions, as well as climate justice forums, not just as a matter of being inclusive or fair, but also due to its efficiency. A study by the International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) identified that projects that are designed and run with women's participation are more sustainable and effective than those that do not. 

Therefore, as stated by Isabela Espindola, gender is essential when discussing water issues. Firstly, because through the data, we see that water issues impact women and girls the most. And also, because bad management of water resources as well as its absence are strongly related to climate change, WASH issues and period poverty. 

To summarize, to solve water related problems, it’s necessary to approach these kinds of issues with an intersectional climate justice lens, considering women participation and gender in general in all public policy formulations, not separating it from the rest of politics, but including it. This is how we will close gender gaps in climate and water policies, as well as in many other areas.

Next steps and youth participation 

According to Isabela Espindola, regarding the action plans taken about climate justice and water, the main conclusion is that the sector needs more funding and investments. The resources available for safe water management and sanitation are not enough to make efficient and effective change. Both the public and the private sector need to be involved; but the private sector has more resources, and thus, it needs to play a bigger role.

Besides that, the sector also needs more partnerships and opportunities. Isabela Espindola stated that individual actions are important, and they cause impact, however collective actions are capable of making even bigger impact, especially when we involve young people and other often excluded groups. 
In addition to advocating for more funding and opportunities, IWA operates through lobbying, working strongly with data and research. This kind of information serves as a reference for new public policy formulation and implementation as well as the adoption of new mechanisms. 

In June of 2022, at the Youth and Children’s Water Forum at the Second High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028 in Dushanbe, some youth-led organizations launched the 303030 Youth Target. The goals are the inclusion, participation and representation at all levels, from all sectors and stakeholders, of at least 30% of youth below 30 years old by 2030. It is important to see youth not as a separate group that needs to be included as a “quota”, but as part of the discussion and with valid contributions.
For future plans, IWA has been working through its youth on water-related entrepreneurship and, recognizing the importance of inclusivity, it has also focused on gender and other social minorities, such as indigenous communities.

The discussion does not end here. There are different realities of individuals across gender, race, ethnicity, geography and more -- intersectionality is key. However, for that to happen, these people need to be included in the discussions and decision-making forums.

We encourage youth-led organizations and activists everywhere to take part in actions with an intersectional lens for not only climate action, but also water justice. 

If you are interested in being part of IWA, you can become a member of the association, where it’s possible to engage in specialist groups, participate in conferences, events and awards; or you can even become part of their team. The International Water Association has offices in the United Kingdom and in India, and you can learn more about it and about new openings on their website or LinkedIn. 

*The International Water Association is a non-profit organization that works as a knowledge hub to connect the water sector in order to provide solutions for water related issues.