The immeasurable weight on their shoulders

While the previous post was an initial overview of the relationship between gender and water, this post will further investigate the disparity felt by African women and girls with regard to water collection.

What is the necessity for a gendered-focused perspective? 

In 24 sub-Saharan (SSA) countries, adult females are the primary collectors of water in households where more than 30 minutes are spent collecting water (as high as 90% in Cote d'Ivoire). Female children across all nations are nearly twice as likely to be responsible for water collection than male children. They travel vast distances because of inadequate water infrastructure and investment, but what are the impacts, and why is it women and girls that are predominantly responsible for water collection?

Figure 1: A woman carrying a water container. Hallett (2016)

The impacts on African women

In a study done in South-Africa, the mean weight of a container carried by woman and girls was 19.5kg, which is coupled by the fact that, on average, they travel 6km each day to reach these water sources. The effects on health are detrimental, with an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, associated disability and nearly 70% of women in the study mentioned experiencing severe spinal pain. This is only worsened by views that these risks are seen as anecdotal. And even when men do assist, in instances where their wives or daughters may be pregnant or unwell, they usually ride bicycles or animals, making their experience of water collection less arduous with diminished health risks. 

This process of travelling to retrieve water is also associated with greater probability of faecal contamination, exacerbating the spread of diarrhoeal disease which is a leading cause of death among children in SSA. Women and girls walking long distances to acquire water or to use open toilets or latrines are more likely to experience physical and sexual assault. Climate change is only going to deepen the challenges ahead, with more droughts and extreme weather. 

Figure 2: Graham et. al (2016) 

The aforementioned means that they frequently are unable to pursue a proper education, find stable employment or complete other duties, often creating time-poverty. By neglecting these other responsibilities, long-term female economic and political engagement may be impacted. Therefore, it is vital to address obstacles that stand in their way when it comes to access to water, sanitation and hygiene because it can drastically improve agency. In communities that were recipients of water access programs, 90% of the 47% women witnessed an increase in income by using the free time gained to participate in entrepreneurial activities.   

Why are women responsible? 

In many nations, men are considered financial providers while women have to complete domestic duties which include collecting water. Even in households with piped water, insufficient wealth and income makes it a luxury, forcing women and girls to collect it and local water sources are usually unsafe to drink from. Simultaneously, some women actively decide not to participate in policy-making, so this might mean addressing cultural norms while shifting beliefs to enable women to make truly independent decisions. 

Below is a video by UNICEF showing the difficulties 13 year old Uzzaya from Nigeria faces, and explains why she is responsible collecting water every day.

Efforts needs to be made to find alternatives to carry water, through improving infrastructure, whether through closer collection points or increasing affordability. This must be addressed because these hurdles prohibit female development, either from a lack of education or employment. It certainly is still a huge challenge.