How Does Water Scarcity Hold Back Women in Africa?

Shouldering The Responsibility

More than 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live every day without a safe, reliable, and accessible source of clean drinking water. For most of the families living in this region of the world, the task of collecting water – all the water they need for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and growing food – is predominantly shouldered by women and girls. This responsibility significantly impedes their progress toward gender equality and has significant consequences on their lives, their families’ lives, and their communities.

The daily journey to fetch water, from often-distant sources, consumes time and energy that could be directed toward education, economic activities, and personal development.

The Burden of Water Collection

Women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa spend an average of 200 million hours daily collecting water. This chore is physically demanding and often involves walking long distances under harsh conditions. It can impact women and girls’ ability to complete their education. It also contributes to women being unable to participate fully in economic, social, and political leadership.

Among the significant impacts of water collection on women and girls include:

1. Health Implications: The physical toll of carrying heavy water containers can cause long-term health issues for women. Musculoskeletal problems, particularly back and neck pain, are common. Furthermore, the journey to fetch water often involves navigating unsafe environments, exposing women and girls to the risk of violence and sexual assault. The health and safety risks associated with water collection are a significant barrier to women’s well-being and autonomy.

2. Education: The responsibility of fetching water disproportionately affects girls’ education. Many girls are unable to attend school regularly or at all because they must collect water for their families. According to UNICEF, every hour spent fetching water is an hour taken away from schooling. The lack of education perpetuates the cycle of poverty and limits opportunities for girls to break free from traditional gender roles.

3. Economic Impacts: Fetching water also impacts women’s economic opportunities. Time spent collecting water is time not spent on income-generating activities. Women could be contributing to their households’ finances, starting businesses, or engaging in agriculture. The economic potential of women is vastly underutilized because of this time-consuming task. According to the World Bank, increasing women’s participation in the economy can significantly boost a country’s GDP, but this potential remains untapped in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa due to the burden of water collection.

4. Social Impacts: The time-consuming nature of fetching water limits women’s participation in social and community activities. Women who spend hours each day collecting water have little time for civic engagement, leadership roles, or participation in decision-making processes. This exclusion from community life reinforces traditional gender roles and limits women’s influence in their communities.

How Making Clean Water Accessible Can Help Empower Women In Africa

Addressing the issue of water collection and women’s equality requires a multifaceted approach. However, by far the largest obstacle to remove is the water scarcity facing many communities in Africa. Though the region boasts vast quantities of freshwater safe for drinking, most of this is located in underground aquifers. These water sources require a significant investment in water wells to dig deep into the ground and pull the water to the surface.

Since 2013, Embrace Relief has been – with the help of our donors – making this investment in communities across sub-Saharan Africa. We’ve built or reconstructed more than 900 water wells, reducing the burden on women and girls in those communities by hours per day in many cases.

We aim to continue to transform the lives of women and girls in Africa through our Clean Water Initiative. But we need the help of generous people like you.

When you donate to the Clean Water Initiative, you’re not only sharing the gift of clean water with women and girls in Africa. You are also leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and hope, which will make life better for entire communities for years to come.

The cost of sponsoring an Embrace Relief water well – which includes the right to name your well and a five-year maintenance guarantee – starts at just $1500, but the impact you leave will be priceless.

To learn more about Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative, and to begin constructing your very own water well, click here. To make a one-time gift in support of our Clean Water Initiative, use the donation box below.

Donate today!