In the wake of last week’s International Water Day, advocates and activists have shed on the disproportionate impact of water scarcity on women and persons with disabilities (PWDs), highlighting the urgent need for inclusive water governance. In an interview with The Environment, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights activist, Exodus Munkuli, underscores the stark reality that women and girls bear the brunt of water scarcity.
“In the absence of water, women and girls suffer the most. Water is essential for various aspects of their lives, including menstruation, childbirth, and household chores. The burden of water collection falls disproportionately on women, often in unsafe conditions.” Munkuli said
Environmental advocacy group Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) underscored the pivotal role of women in water provision, management, and protection. “To promote responsible water governance, it is critical to recognize that women play an important role in the provision, management, and protection of water in communities. Women are the primary providers, managers and users of water, however global statistics highlight that less than 17% of women make up the labour force of water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing economies.
“Guided by Sustainable Development Goal five on Gender Equality, it is critical to ensure women’s full and effective participation, as well as equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life,” said ZELA
The water crisis extends beyond gender inequality to exclude persons with disabilities as Samantha Sibanda, director of Signs of Hope Trust, points out the inaccessibility of boreholes further marginalizing PWDs
The right to water for PWDs is very critical it speaks to SDG 6 and in the face of climate change chaos it’s important that we do not lose sight of PWDs in these challenges. We want to challenge that all our responses must be inclusive. The lack of access to clean water is also one of the outbreaks of waterborne disease and we call for the protect and preserve wetlands to avoid such,” said Sibanda.
