• WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY LACK OF WATER AND SANITATION

  • WHY?

    THE BURDENS

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    Women carry the burdens of water on their head, shoulders and back

    • REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY - Women in sub-saharan Africa can spend up to 8 hours a day fetching water and doing water related chores
       

    • PHYSICAL STRESS - a typical 5 gallons (20 liters) container of water, a typical jerican weighs 44 pounds that women and girls carry on their heads, shoulders and backs
       

    • VIOLENCE - when fetching water far from home or school, or relieving themselves in the open when there are no toilets, women and girls are in danger of being violently attacked and even rape

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    Women carry the burdens of their families' health and wellness

    • HEALTH RISKS - Over half the hospital beds in the world are occupied by people with water-related disease WHILE 3-5 million people die every year of water related disease
       

    • LACK OF EDUCATION - 1 out of 10 girls drop out of school by the 8th grade when they start menstruating because there is no water or toilets at the school. Girls are 3x more likely to be malnutritioned which is usually caused by diahrrea from dirty water
       

    • FINANCIAL STRESS - women are the caretakers of the families. When they cannot work because they are fetching water or if a family member falls sick, they spend time and money providing health services and medicine

  • Why?

    THE OPPORTUNITIES

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    Health Improvement

    Women are at the center of health in their households

    IMPROVE HEALTH - If you cut the water fetching time by 15 minutes it can reduce the incidence of diarrhea by 41% and under 5 child mortality by 11%


    FAMILY WELLNESS - Since women are the caretakers of the family and cook, clean, wash and provide drinking water, if they have access to safe water and practice good hygiene they can reduce the risk of water related disease for the whole family
     

    SAFETY AND SECURITY - when women and girls have access to water and sanitation, there is a reduced risk of violence and sexual attacks, they don't have to walk over rough terrain and no longer have to carry nearly 50 pounds of water

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    Access to Education and Livelihood

    ACCESS TO EDUCATION - With each year of primary school a girl's future wages increase by 10-20% and more educated females desire less children

     

    INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY - It is estimated that around the globe, women can spend 200 million hours collectively, fetching water. Can you imagine if they spent that working and earning money and contributing to their nation's economic growth?

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    Self-Reliance and Financial Stability

    ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES - Women tend to be more entrepreneurial because they have no access to the formal labor force. If they don't have to fetch water, they can participate in income generating activities. They are also more likely to pay back loans than men

     

    RETURN ON INVESTMENT - For every $1 invested in water and sanitation there is a return of $3 - $34

     

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