Women and girls across Africa are shouldering the heaviest burden of the water crisis, according to campaigners. The warning comes as communities worldwide marked World Water Day, an annual event highlighting the importance of safe and reliable water. This year's theme, "Water and Gender," focuses on how water shortages disproportionately affect women in many parts of the continent.
The Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition, a network of civil society groups and community organisations, cautions that African governments should exercise caution when considering the privatisation of water services. The coalition fears that private interests could make access to water more challenging for poor households, particularly women and girls.
Fatou Diouf, a representative of the Senegalese Water Justice Network, warns that African governments must consider the consequences of privatising public water systems. "Women and girls pay the highest price when governments relinquish public water systems to private interests," she notes.
Across the continent, families in rural and low-income urban areas still rely on distant wells, rivers, or community taps for their water needs. In most households, women and girls are responsible for fetching water, a daily responsibility that comes with significant social costs.
According to campaigners, women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa spend approximately 200 million hours each day collecting water. This lost time could be spent on education, paid work, or rest. The impact of this daily task extends beyond the physical burden, as Cecilia Sharp, director of water, sanitation, and hygiene at UNICEF, notes. "Every step a girl takes to collect water is a step away from learning, playing, and safety," she says.
As governments seek to finance water infrastructure, some are considering public-private partnerships or other forms of private sector involvement. However, the Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition warns that such arrangements could lead to increased water costs and reduced accountability if not carefully regulated.
The debate over privatising Africa's water services is a stark reminder of the continent's inadequate infrastructure and the disproportionate burden borne by women and girls. Governments must be cautious about handing over public water systems to private interests, which could exacerbate the water crisis and push poor households further into poverty. In Zimbabwe, the ongoing policy discussions on water sector reforms are a cause for concern, as they may lead to increased water costs and reduced access for the most vulnerable. The consequences of these decisions will be felt most acutely by women and girls, who already spend an inordinate amount of time collecting water. As the continent grapples with the water crisis, it is imperative that governments prioritise the needs of their citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, and ensure that water services are accessible, affordable, and equitable.
