THEMBA KHOZA | Water essential and crucial for women empowerment

Access to proper sanitation will restore women dignity and confidence

Access to water will unlock access to all other socioeconomic opportunities for women’s development and empowerment says the writer.
Access to water will unlock access to all other socioeconomic opportunities for women’s development and empowerment says the writer.
Image: 123RF

It is August, Women’s Month, and the focus is on women empowerment again. Women empowerment is important to bring about gender equality. In a developing country like SA, access to water becomes a critical element in women development and empowerment.

Water is life and central to socioeconomic development. As we celebrate Women’s Day on August 9 and continue to celebrate Women’s Month throughout August under the theme “Accelerating Socioeconomic Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment”, let us remember that water is central to socioeconomic development and ensure that access to water is a priority for women to access any opportunity.

The centrality of water to life can never be disputed and downplayed, which makes water essential and crucial for women empowerment. Access to water is therefore the first step in women empowerment. Without water, women empowerment will remain a pipe dream, especially for rural women.

To accelerate socioeconomic opportunities for women empowerment, we must first accelerate water provision. Access to water will unlock access to all other socioeconomic opportunities for women’s development and empowerment.

Access to water will ensure that women can compete on an equal footing with men for available opportunities. Lack of access to water means women have to spend most of their time collecting water for their households, but access to water will ensure that women have enough time explore and engage in the socioeconomic opportunities available.

Lack of access to water also exposes women to all forms of abuse and this knocks off their confidence, but access to water will ensure that women are protected and have the confidence to pursue the available socioeconomic opportunities.

Access to water also ensures that women have access to proper sanitation facilities. As the department of water and sanitation says, “water is life, sanitation is dignity”, access to proper sanitation will restore women dignity and confidence and ensure that they focus on self-development and empowerment.

Ensuring access to water for women empowerment is everybody’s business. As individuals, we must protect water infrastructure and use the available water wisely to ensure everyone has access as SA is a water scarce and dry country which cannot afford to lose even a single drop of precious water.

If we all have access to water, women will not suffer and will be empowered. We all have the responsibility to protect water resources and prevent water infrastructure vandalism.

Government has the responsibility to accelerate universal access to water for all to ensure that women have the time to partake and enjoy socioeconomic opportunities and be empowered. Government must therefore fast-track and intensify water supply infrastructure developments and the maintenance and operations of available infrastructure.

This will go a long way in providing an equal footing for women to participate and take the available opportunities aimed at women development and empowerment. Communities must assist government and play an active role in monitoring the implementation of projects to ensure quality products on time.

The business sector also has a role to play in ensuring that communities have access to clean, quality water. They must assist in water provision as part of their social responsibility initiatives to ensure access to water for everyone.

Let us all hold hands and work together to ensure access to water for all and play a role in the development and empowerment of our women.

Khoza is a communicator in the department of water and sanitation

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.