Water is life: an introduction

'In Zimbabwe, the Shona proverb 'water is life' is based on the idea that to deny water is to deny life. This proverb forms part of a broad right to water for livelihood.'

From sustaining our health to its use in agriculture and manufacturing, we need water in all aspects of our lives. Billions of dollars are spent annually trying to improve water accessibility yet there is still a plethora of issues when it comes to safely retrieving water. 

I decided to explore notions of gender and water in these series of blogs, using Africa as a case study. As gender and water are multi-faceted and complex topics, they are likely to be interlinked with other factors that may impact access to water, such as political circumstances, local infrastructure, and the economy. This introduction will outline the significance of developing a greater understanding of perceptions on gender and water in Africa. 

Figure 1: Fantini (2020)

Writing about Africa

Reading Wainaina's article on 'How to Write About Africa' gave me additional insight on the most effective way to convey my ideas and it was certainly thought-provoking. The satirical tone instils upon the reader the importance of not over-generalising Africa as a single nation while not making assumptions about the experiences of African women. Taking my positionality as a British male into account will be important during this writing process. 

Understanding gender and water in Africa 

In 2010, the UN General Assembly and the UNHCR recognised that the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right, but over 2 billion still lack access to this globally. UN SDG 6 is related to the provision of sustainable water by 2030 and several other international organisations have been involved in facilitating greater water access. Even with all this engagement, many problems have not been effectively tackled, leading to women and girls being disproportionately impacted. 

In over 80% of households with water shortages, they are the ones responsible for water collection, which usually compromises educational attainment or leads to higher risk of violence. Questions arise about involvement in decision-making. Is everything possible being done to ensure equity between genders with regards to water and sanitation? These questions need to be posed to governments and other agencies that can enact change because this disparity immeasurably impacts all individuals in different African nations. 

There is also a common misconception that Africa suffers from a lack of freshwater, but the issues surrounding water arise from problems with accessibility, availability, distribution and infrastructure. For example, Gabon is placed 9th in international rankings for water availability yet only between 40-60% of most regions have access to piped water. Colonialism has hampered the development of African nations by reducing wealth and resources while preventing the construction of adequate infrastructure. 

Figure 2: Njoh & Akiwumi (2011)

Using a gendered lens, each post that follows will delve deeper into the issues met when it comes to accessing safe water and sanitation, the reasons behind them, and what can be done to improve equity while removing barriers faced by African women.