African women's everyday struggles and sacrifices for water

Women in Africa hold invaluable knowledge about water and are the biggest users of water in the continent, however, they remain voiceless in decision-making processes and management of water. Women's participation has been associated with the success of water projects. Women played a significant role in decision-making before colonialism, however, during and "post" colonial periods excluded women and maintained gendered power imbalances in society.   Even though Ghana has an abundance of water availability, the country lacks adequate water access. According to UNICEF,  76% of households in Ghana drink water that is faceally contaminated.  Ghana's water management has undergone a series of reforms since its independence in 1957 and has introduced a decentralised approach to water management, entailing the empowerment of local people and increased public participation. Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs  ( MOWAC) is the department in charge of enforcing the na

Why African women need to be included in climate change discourse The Sahel region is a  hotspot for climate change : temperatures increase  1.5 times quicker than the rest of the world.   Approximately 65% of the population in the Sahel live in rural areas, with a vast majority of communities being prone to intense droughts, desertification and floods. Rural communities rely on agriculture as it is the most significant economic sector. Since 2015, 36/46 of sub-Saharan African countries formally addressed climate change through their policies and laws, however, only 3 of these countries (Mali, Malawi and Nigeria) have emphasised the need to address gendered-climate justice. Women in this region account for 80% of the agricultural labour force and are thus disproportionately disadvantaged by climate change. Women bear the brunt of climate issues because they h old positions burned by environmental change,  including water collection and agriculture. For example, rainfall in Ethiopia is

Understated violence behind water collection and toilet facilities  Patriarchy comes in all forms. Patriarchal violence is undoubtedly the most gruesome form of sexism, one that is routine everywhere in the world. Women and girls collecting water and practising open defecation in Africa are not safe: they are commonly greeted with male violence at water point queues, water fetching paths and open defecation routes. Women are also subjected to domestic abuse when they fail to gather enough water to complete their domestic responsibilities. Thus it is important to adopt an "engendered" interpretation of the right to sanitation.  Why do women practice open defecation? Open defecation is a product of patriarchy: the lack of consideration of differential gendered sanitation needs and the dominance of men in decision making in both the domestic and public sphere means toilet facilities are not designed to meet the basic sanitation needs of women. The topic of open defecation is com

Why does water collection labour require gender and child-centred perspective?  Women and children bear the brunt of water labour. A study of six rural communities in South Africa shows that 56% of women and 31% of young girls carried the burden of collecting water compared to only 10% of young boys and 3% of men. The most significant factor influencing the role of a child's contribution to water collection is their gender . Children typically leave school early to look after younger siblings while the mothers collect water, alternatively, they leave school to collect water themselves. This impacts their studies significantly as they are left fatigued and many reported difficulties concentrating at school. Women often experience conflict at water points, which commonly results in physical or sexual assault - the perceived fear of assault alone demonstrates the urgency of safer ways to have access to water. Health risks associated with water collection  In sub-Saharan Africa, 37% o

What is period poverty? Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints, also commonly referred to as menstrual health management (MHM). Improving access to menstrual hygiene products (MHP) contributes to the achievement SDG 5 "to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls." However, due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities (WaSH) in Africa, most women are unable to properly maintain their menstruation needs sufficiently. Most girls rely on close friends and families as their source of information about menstruation and sanitation, rather than a professional health worker. Periods are heavily stigmatised and are associated with shame and taboo in many African societies due to common misinformation on the topic.  Shame and sickness Access to safe and hygienic sanitation products is a serious concern for women and girls in Africa, particularly for those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. For most

" In 80 per cent of households with water shortages, women and girls are responsible for water collection "   " 1 in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school during their menstrual cycle, which equals as much as 20% of a school year " These statistics are alarming, to say the least. There are so many issues African women and girls face daily just to access water and sanitation facilities. Collecting water, or resorting to open defecation has never been safe for women. As a young woman, who was born in South Asia, but raised in London, I have witnessed first-hand the repercussions of inadequate water and sanitation facilities, including toilet facilities. It is a hardship I have never experienced but is not something I have been sheltered from. Education to me is both a privilege and a right. However, in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, many girls' education is compromised as it is their prime duty to collect water. Another reason why many girls in Africa