READER LETTER | Water is key to women's empowerment

Water is a source of life and a lack of it causes hardship for communities, especially women.says the writer.
Water is a source of life and a lack of it causes hardship for communities, especially women.says the writer.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

Lack of access to water is an impediment towards socio-economic development ideals. It negatively affects empowerment for people – especially women, as they are the ones who go look for water for their families to survive.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8, let us remember that the day is a clarion call to accelerate women's empowerment and gender equality.

This year the day is celebrated under the theme “Accelerate Action”, with the hope of speeding up progress worldwide to achieve gender parity. The theme emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality for women – both in personal and professional spheres.

Water is a source of life and a lack of it causes hardship for communities, especially women. It is important that we fast-track water provision to ease the burden on the shoulders of women and the girl child.

Women's empowerment must no longer be taken for granted – it must be a priority as empowered women empower communities and nations.

In as much as water service infrastructure is important, the onus is also on us to protect it from vandalism, which takes communities backward.

Let us accelerate action and remove all the barriers that affect women's empowerment in society. – Themba Khoza, water & sanitation department 


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