RWSN Secretariat

GLOBAL DRIVERS AND PHENOMENA: ADVANCING GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN WASH

Photo 1. Female Peacekeeper overseeing water supply in Chad. Source: Our Secure Future, accessed October 2024

Blog by Euphresia Luseka, co-lead of the RWSN Leave No-one Behind theme.

The UN WWDR 2026 shall serve as a vital resource, illustrating how global trends and phenomena are reshaping gender dynamics in societies around the world. The interplay between conflict, migration, and gender equity in WASH reveals stark realities. In regions afflicted by conflict and instability, women’s safety and access to essential services are severely compromised.

A poignant testimony from a woman in Gaza encapsulates this struggle: “We [women] cannot meet our simplest and most basic needs: eating well, drinking safe water, accessing a toilet, having sanitary pads, taking a shower, changing our clothes.”

The plight of women in conflict zones is further exacerbated by migration. Women and girls face an increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence during conflicts. Yet, amid these challenges, women remain indispensable agents of change—actively participating in peace-building, conflict resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction. This resilience highlights the need to recognize and harness women’s potential for positive transformation in their communities.

Migration and its intersection and climate change also alters traditional gender roles and expectations, as families adapt to new environments; it presents opportunities for economic independence and education, empowering them to challenge restrictive gender norms. Still Migrant women often encounter exploitation, discrimination, and limited access to resources, underscoring the urgent need to address these barriers.

Corruption emerges as another formidable barrier to WASH and gender equity. It restricts women’s access to essential services and undermines their participation in leadership and decision-making processes, as demonstrated in weaponisation of water. U.N. Women has called for urgent action to protect Sudanese women and girls, emphasizing the need for accountability in addressing high levels of sexual violence and exploitation. “We cannot let Sudan become a forgotten crisis,” asserts U.N. Women’s Addou, highlighting the critical necessity for action in conflict-affected regions.

On my blog on Diversity in Water sector leadership I emphasise the concerning underrepresentation of women. A World Bank report highlights that less than 18% of the workforce in water utilities are women and that two-thirds of sanitation leaders are white according to a FLUSH LLC publication that I co-authored. This systemic inequity reflects deeper societal structures, suggesting that without diverse leadership, the water sector risks stagnation and failure in meeting SDG6 targets.

THE INTERSECTION OF WASH AND GENDER

Blog by Euphresia Luseka, co-lead of the RWSN Leave No-one Behind theme.

“Gender equality is a fundamental human right and an obvious question of equity and fairness. But it is also a necessary foundation for sustainable development and a peaceful, prosperous world.”
– Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative

However, the intersection of WASH reveals profound challenges that hinder the potential of women and girls in achieving equitable and sustainable development, within the realms of WASH. Cecilia Sharp, UNICEF Director of WASH and CEED, explains this by informing that “unsafe water, toilets, and handwashing at home robs girls of their potential, compromises their well-being, and perpetuates cycles of poverty.” She added, “responding to girls’ needs in the design and implementation of WASH programmes is critical to reaching universal access to WASH and achieving gender equality and empowerment.”

Since the emergence of gendered thinking in WASH in 1970s, the dialogue surrounding gender equity has evolved including a dedicated SDG 5 that envisions a world where gender equality is achieved and all women and girls are empowered. It targets the eradication of discrimination and violence against women, child marriage and female genital mutilation, and the recognition of unpaid care work. Furthermore, it emphasizes the necessity for women’s participation in decision-making and access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Yet, five decades later, the promise of transformative models within policies and programs remains nascent. This stagnation raises pressing questions about the efficacy of our current approaches and the urgency of progressive change.

The connection between WASH and gender equity remains tenuous.

This status is explained by the acknowledgement that while the importance of advancing WASH as a means to achieve SDG 5 is increasingly acknowledged in global discourse with even SDG 6.2 explicitly calling for paying special attention to the needs of women and girls, still a glaring omission persists: a lack of commonly agreed-upon indicators for the national and global monitoring of gender within WASH initiatives. This absence underscores a systemic failure that perpetuates gender inequalities, inhibiting the realization of SDG 6 targets.

Water Scarcity and Gender Inequality: Exploring the Hidden Costs of a Thirsty World

The intersection of WASH and gender unveils unique challenges that disproportionately burden women and girls. As demonstrated on Graph 2 below, Research reveals that when water sources are not easily accessible, women and girls aged 15 and older assume the primary responsibility for water collection in 70% of households—an alarming statistic that starkly contrasts with the 30% of households where men share this burden. This reality not only highlights the entrenched gender roles but also raises critical questions about the time and energy expended by women and girls, which could otherwise be invested in education, employment, or health.

Compared to men, women experience many negative WASH-related health outcomes, some of which have been disaggregated. Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the WHO’s Environment, Climate Change, and Health Department, informs, “Women and girls not only face WASH-related infectious diseases, like diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, they face additional health risks because they are vulnerable to harassment, violence, and injury when they have to go outside the home to haul water or just to use the toilet.” They also account for a higher number of disabilities adjusted life years (DALYs) caused by inadequate hygiene.

Graph 2 Average time spent collecting water by women, girls and boys, by country, selected surveys, 2012-2022 Source UNICEF and WHO, 2023

The gravity of these issues is further compounded by the fact that contaminated drinking water and poor sanitation can have dire consequences for maternal health, including complications during pregnancy and an increased incidence of reproductive tract infections. Despite the wealth of existing studies on health inequities related to WASH, there exists a significant research gap regarding the specific impacts of drinking water access on gender disparities. While some investigations have touched upon the broader issues of water fetching, sanitation, and sexual violence, the social, educational, and economic ramifications of inadequate access to safe drinking water for women remain largely underexplored.

This multifaceted vulnerability contributes to a staggering increase in mortality rates among women and girls.

Brightening the Horizon: Positive Trends in Gender Recognition in WASH Initiatives

“In the landscape of gender recognition, a nuanced narrative unfolds—one that, while acknowledging persistent challenges, also celebrates the transformative strides women are making within the water sector.”

The forthcoming UN WWDR 2026 stands as a beacon of hope, poised to spotlight the remarkable achievements of women in this vital field. By illuminating their contributions and sharing success stories, the report shall aim not just to honour past accomplishments but to ignite inspiration in future generations of women aspiring to carve out their own paths in WASH careers. This acknowledgment is not merely celebratory; it is a critical step toward fostering gender equity in a sector that has historically marginalized female voices.

Each March annually heralds the convening of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a platform designed to evaluate the progress made since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Despite the stark realities of slow advancement in gender and WASH, some nations have emerged as exemplars of progress.

Senegal, for instance, has shown remarkable strides between 2015 and 2020, as highlighted in the 2022 SDG Gender Index by Equal Measures 2030. They improved on undernourishment (SDG2) and drinking water (SDG6). The Senegalese government, since adopting the Beijing Declaration, has actively championed gender equality. The introduction of a parity law for elected institutions in 2010 has positioned Senegal as a global leader, boasting one of the highest proportions of women parliamentarians in West Africa. This progressive move places Senegal fourth in Africa concerning gender parity in its legislative assembly. Complementing these efforts, the government has ratified several international conventions to bolster women’s rights and developed a National Strategy for Gender Equity (SNEEG 2016-2026), to ensure equitable participation of both genders in decision-making and access to resources.

Such positive trends in gender recognition in WASH, have spilled into the political arena particularly women’s activism; Hon. Anne Désirée Ouloto—dubbed ‘Maman Bulldozer’ lead transformative efforts in WASH initiatives in Côte d’Ivoire. Presiding over a monumental US$1.2 billion investment in sanitation and drainage in Greater Abidjan, her work exemplifies the profound impact of female leadership in WASH sector.

The landscape of advocacy and legal rights protecting women in WASH is also evolving. In Kenya, alongside legislators and WASH CSOs’, I have led concerted efforts to address the pernicious issue of sextortion in the water sector. Such advocacy is not only a legal necessity but a moral imperative, critical to achieving SDG5 on gender equality and SDG16.6 on accountable governance.

Moreover, Women are not just participating but breaking barriers, challenging norms and stepping into leadership roles, shaping policies, and driving change by making their voice heard. Indonesia’s Retno Marsudi, who serves as the first UN Special Envoy on Water, exemplifies the vital role women play in global discourse on water issues.

EMPOWERING PROGRESS: THE UN WWDR 2026 REPORT ELEVATES GENDER AND WATER DISCOURSE

Featured photo: March 2024, Women in Figuig, Eastern Morocco marching during the biweekly protests against water privatisation. Source AP News.

Blog by Euphresia Luseka, co-lead of the RWSN Leave No-one Behind theme.

As the waves of time crash upon the shore of progress, a mighty force is rising. These waves carry the strength of female leaders, revolutionising the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector. To mark another milestone in the pursuit of a sustainable future, the upcoming United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2026), will shine a spotlight on a critical yet oft-overlooked aspect of the global water crisis: the inextricable link between gender and water, illuminating a path towards a more sustainable and equitable future. UNWWDR 2026 is not merely an echo of problems, but an inspiring melody of change, empowerment, and sustainable future.

It is not just about women being disproportionately affected by lack of safe WASH access and representation in its management, but it is also about recognising the power of women as managers and catalysts for change in the WASH sector. From the pioneers in Indonesia like Retno Marsudi, UN 1st Special Envoy on Water, the indigenous Mexican women water stewards using ancient techniques passing them down to generations to preserve water in the drought-prone Oaxaca region to the relentless Figuig women of Morocco who marched in protest for several months to amplify water rights voices against water privatization and the ‘humming bird’ Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai from my country Kenya, on water catchment protection efforts, all serve as a powerful reminder that one person can create waves of change.

Water and Economic Poverty: How the Global Water Crisis Disproportionately Affects Women

The global water crisis is a crisis of inequalities disproportionately affecting women.

As we celebrate these and more trailblazing women in water leaders, the world inches closer to the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with women still left behind. The United Nations’ Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) 2019 report reveals that a staggering 78% of countries have incorporated specific policies or strategies to promote gender equality in water and sanitation. On the other hand, the International Decade for Action (2018-2028) calls to address gender disparities in WASH access.

Alongside the progress, we also confront persistent gaps. Gaps that threaten to undermine our hard-won achievements, forming a path that recognizes the interconnected nature of WASH-related challenges and the need for inclusive solutions.

Terms like sex and gender may seem straightforward but their nuances hold profound implications for how we perceive and address WASH and gender issues. UNICEF defines Sex as the biological and physical differences between women and men while Gender as socially constructed differences in attributes and opportunities associated with being a woman, man, girl, or boy and to the social interactions and relations between women and men. Woman refers to biological females according to UNOHCR. In my view this affirms the gap in the context of WASH statistics where WASH data is often disaggregated by sex, but rarely disaggregated by gender.

Imagine a world where the simple act of accessing safe WASH does not dictate one’s ability to attend school, earn an income, or live a life free from danger. A world where our mothers, sisters, and daughters are not disproportionately burdened with the responsibility of fetching water, but are empowered managers and change agents in WASH initiatives. For more than two billion people around the globe, particularly women and girls, this is a distant reality. The latest stark metrics reveal a concerning reality: despite progress, millions of women and girls worldwide still lack access to safe WASH services, hindering their empowerment, health, and economic opportunities. This world, although still a distant reality, is one we must strive for, beginning with a deep understanding of the water-gender nexus.

Women are 2.5 times more likely to be responsible for water collection, yet they hold only 17% of the paid jobs in the water sector as confirmed by a Women for Water Partnerships Report. UN Women adds another layer of concern revealing that in 2022 a quarter of women globally lacked access to safely managed drinking water, and two-fifths lacked access to secure sanitation.

The gendered impact of inadequate WASH access is not just a reflection of biological differences, but a manifestation of socially constructed disparities. It serves as a stark reminder that water is not just a women’s issue – it’s a human issue and Graph 1 below illustrates these realities.

Graph 1 Proportion of households in which women, men, girls and boys are primarily responsible for water collection, by country, selected surveys where at least 10% of households collect water, 2012–2022 (%) Source UNICEF and WHO, 2023

UN Water’s dictum concurs and aptly captures that “Water is a human right, not a privilege,” this blog series embodies a bold commitment to upholding the rights of all.

The upcoming UN WWDR for 2026, aims to bridge this chasm by placing gender equity at the heart of WASH management and sustainability discussions. It stands as a pivotal blueprint for understanding the critical nexus between water and gender, presenting an urgent call to action for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders dedicated to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and water-secure world. By weaving together, a rich narrative of data, case studies, and expert insights, the report shall transcend mere enumeration of challenges to celebrate the resilience and ingenuity of women who are at the forefront of change within the WASH sector. It shall compellingly argue that embedding gender equality and social inclusion into water policy and practice is not just a moral imperative but a pragmatic necessity for achieving all SDGs especially SDG 5 and 6. Statistical evidence revealing the extensive failures of undervaluing women’s expertise in WASH management will be juxtaposed with success stories of women-led interventions that have illuminated pathways towards peace, prosperity, and sustainability. As the report critically examines the barriers that women and girls face in accessing safe WASH, it shall highlight the detrimental impacts of gender disparities in decision-making roles, pushing the narrative beyond mere awareness to active transformation. With a focus on fostering gender-responsive approaches in the WASH sector, the UN WWDR 2026 shall serve not only as a repository of insightful analysis but as a clarion call for disruptive change, intended to inspire dialogue and galvanize global commitment towards a future where equitable access to safe WASH is a universal reality.

Weaving threads of knowledge and trust across the world: Part 2 (Listening to Latin America)

by Sean Furey, Director, RWSN Secretariat

Nearly 30 years ago I began my first steps into a career in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Guatemala. In the morning mist, there was the dull clank of the school bell. It was an old bombshell that had been dropped on the village at some point during the thirty-year civil war. On that day it was guiding children to lessons. The clothes of the people, particularly the women, were amazing. Incredibly colourful and ornately woven, and each is distinctive to that community.

Today, my job is a different type of weaving, but no less colourful. In my previous post, I described how we, as RWSN and SuSanA, have been working with the Multilateral Development Banks, bilateral aid agencies, NGOs and researchers to weave a new narrative for rural WASH – one of learning from each other to achieve universal and lasting access.

But success doesn’t come from top-down actions only, there also needs to be a meeting with bottom-up energy, experience and initiative. Thanks to the support from SDC and IDB, through the SIRWASH project, we have had the opportunity to connect and listen to what regional practitioners are interested in and find ways to collaborate.

On 24 October, our partner, Lourdes Valenzuela from Aguatuya/SuSanA Latinoamérica co-hosted an online meeting with fellow WASH networks: “Conversatorio virtual: Escuchando las voces del sector de agua y saneamiento rural en Latinoamérica” (Online Conversation: Listening to the Voices of Rural Water and Sanitation Leaders in Latin America)

This 80-minute session, co-hosted with COLSAR, connected experts from diverse backgrounds to identify current sector demands and innovative approaches for improving rural water and sanitation management.

Themes and Objectives

The session, moderated by Marcelo Encalada from LatinWASH, sought to:

Identify essential knowledge areas and skills for strengthening rural water and sanitation services.
Explore digital tools and resources that could improve access to critical knowledge.
Examine the role of digital platforms such as SuSanA and LatinWASH in promoting sustainable solutions.

Panelist Contributions and Key Takeaways

Weaving threads of knowledge and trust across the world – Part 1 (Global Actors)

by Sean Furey, Director – RWSN Secretariat @ Skat Foundation

Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is such a local, personal, issue that does global-level exchange make sense?

At first glance, rural areas and communities worldwide seem too diverse for networking and knowledge exchange to be useful or meaningful. What does WASH for isolated hamlets in the Nepalese Himalayas have in common with a fishing village on the Peruvian coast or a small town in northern Nigeria? Quite a lot, it turns out.

Last year, we were privileged to be approached by the Water Section at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to support them with an exciting programme called Sustainable and Innovative Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SIRWASH), funded by the Water Section of the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC). They asked us to help strengthen the sharing on rural WASH topics within the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region and to encourage South-South exchange between LAC, Africa and Asia. Thanks to our strategic partnership with SuSanA we felt well placed to do this, and a great opportunity for both networks to grow our membership in the LAC region and serve our members there better.

Multilateral Development Banks – amazing allies

When it comes to shear financial clout and convening power, Multi-lateral Development Banks (MDBs) are hard to beat, but even they have had mixed success with rural WASH – but there have been successes and they have recognised that they can learn from each other so that they can provide their client governments with the technical assistance and financial options to deliver sustained improvements. So, last year the relevant focal points from the African (AfDB), Asian (ADB) and Inter-American (IDB) met and agreed on a Call to Action with three priorities:

Information-based decision-making and rural WASH investments and service monitoring.
Institutional strengthening & coordination.
Rural sanitation.

From this, we organised a webinar mini-series drawing on their recommendations for case studies on each topic from each region.

Finding the common threads and bringing them together to make them stronger

This year, we took more steps to build an understanding and appreciation of the solutions that have the potential to transcend the variability of local contexts and be adapted. With growing interest, our colleagues at the World Bank also joined the small group and together we organised a special SIRWASH breakfast meeting and an open session on “Coordinating Rural Water Investments to Promote Security and Stability” with REAL-Water :

The SIRWASH breakfast meeting that followed was in the spirit of collaboration among countries in the global south, using knowledge sharing as a catalyst for innovative and sustainable solutions. It was attended by more than 40 representatives from countries (Haiti, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Nigeria and Uganda), multilateral banks, multilateral and bilateral agencies (SDC, AECID, SIDA, WHO, OAS, UNICEF), NGOs and philanthropists (including, One Drop, Water For People, Avina, Aguatuya, mWater, Global Water Center), as well as networks, partnerships and research (RWSN, SuSanA, WASH Agenda for Change, WASH Funders Group, SIWI, Uptime, the Aquaya Institute).

Reflections on the SIRWASH Breakfast meeting (source: IDB)

Using the “Fishbowl” method, participants exchanged their perspectives in an open and dynamic way on how strategic partnerships can increase impact in the sector. Discussions focused on two key questions:

1. How can technological innovations in rural WASH information systems be supported to be truly effective in decision making and incentivize scaling up?

2. What are practical solutions to improve the design and implementation of national rural WASH programs so that their benefits are sustained over the long term?

One of the central themes was innovation through sector information systems, a crucial tool for planning and managing water and sanitation services in rural areas. Three countries shared their experiences on how they have adapted and improved these systems:

Haiti highlighted the use of information systems for decision-making;
Nepal explored the potential of artificial intelligence in WASH;

Peru presented the use of telemetry to measure water quality in rural areas.

The importance of institutionalizing information at the national level and ensuring that communities participate in the validation and appropriation of data and decisions was emphasized.

In addition to information systems, the event underscored the need to integrate both technological and social innovations to improve rural services. Social innovations and behavioural change are essential for communities to take ownership of the systems and actively participate in their management and maintenance. Participants agreed that long-term sustainability is about finding the sweet spot between community-ownership/responsibility and external support.

The second critical issue addressed was the sustainability of rural water and sanitation services. Participants stressed that the successful implementation of these services cannot depend solely on initial investments in infrastructure. Innovative mechanisms need to be developed to ensure their financing and continued operation. The examples of Brazil and Nigeria were instructive, both countries demonstrating how the combination of effective governance and innovative financial models can ensure the operational sustainability of services:

Brazil presented its comprehensive implementation of their National Rural Sanitation Program (PNSR).
Nigeria highlighted the ways a results-based SURWASH programme is strengthening institutional capacity.
The Uptime Consortium shared their experiences and successes with Results-based Contracting on rural water service delivery across many contexts.

The discussion emphasized the need for functionality and quality indicators for rural services, linking reliable information to financial incentives for operators. This strategy can enhance the long-term sustainability of these systems. The working group concluded that collaboration is essential to ensure countries have reliable information for decision-making, aimed at improving the quality of rural services.r decision-making aimed at enhancing the quality of services in rural areas.

In the final discussion, consensus was reached on the need to create and maintain an enabling ecosystem for the development and sustainability of rural services. The great opportunity for development partners to join efforts and seek synergies, contributing technical and financial resources to this ecosystem in the countries was highlighted.

The event concluded with a clear call to action: all actors – governments, development banks, cooperation agencies, NGOs, networks and the private sector – must remain committed to financing and strengthening rural water and sanitation services. The MDBs will continue to work together on a concrete action plan to exchange and replicate successful and innovative experiences to ensure universal and quality WASH services in the countries.

Knowledge exchange is not just talk and powerpoint presentations, it is about building connections and trust between individuals and organisations, finding those common interests and encouraging co-creation of new insights and more sustainable solutions.

The symbolic activity organized by One Drop, where participants bonded to represent their intention to work together towards a common goal, was a powerful reminder of the importance of lasting partnerships. This symbolic gesture is just the beginning; it is essential to continue to scale up efforts so that the most vulnerable communities can access quality water and sanitation services in a sustainable and equitable manner.

Top-Down meets Bottom-Up

After this event, our partner Aguatuya convened an online meeting of Latin American WASH networks to encourage bottom-up exchange to complement our high-level approach. But we will follow that thread in the next post…

Many thanks to the large number of people involved, but in particular to Sergio Campos, Manuela Velasquez-Rodriguez and Cristina Mecerreyes at IDB; Diane Arjoon at AfDB, Vivek Raman and Tanya Huizer at ADB, Awa Diagne and Sarah Nedolast at the World Bank, Janine Kuriger at SDC, and to the wonderful RWSN/SuSanA team: Dr Aline Saraiva, Batima Tleulinova, Susanna Germanier, Lourdes Valenzuela, Paresh Chhajed, Chaiwe Sanderse and all the speakers and panellists for the webinars and sessions.

Highlights from the RWSN Mentoring Programme – Gloria Musopole

This is a guest blog by Gloria Musopole, who participated as a mentee in the 2024 RWSN Mentoring Programme.

Participating in the RWSN Women in WASH Mentorship Program has been a great experience, offering many opportunities for both personal and professional development. The program provides a platform to connect with seasoned experts in the water sector, learn from their experiences, and gain valuable insights into navigating the challenges and opportunities in the industry. It also creates a space for building networks with fellow participants (both mentors and mentees), encouraging a supportive environment for learning, growth, and collaboration.

When I first joined the program I wasn’t sure what to expect. Looking back, I realise how much I have grown in my leadership abilities and technical skills. I have learned to take on challenges with confidence and approach tasks with a sense of purpose.

One of the highlights during this program was the opportunity to improve my skills in designing solar powered water supply systems, a field that holds a lot of potential for sustainable solutions in water access. through resources like the Global Water Partnership (GWP) course, I was able to improve my technical knowledge and now I feel more prepared to contribute to innovative projects in this area.

I have also learned the importance of strategic planning and preparation, particularly when it comes to advancing education and career opportunities. Success in competitive spaces, like school and scholarship applications, requires a well thought out plan. This insight is invaluable as I look to further my education and career within the water sector.

The program has also helped me to connect with a network of professionals from different countries, allowing for the exchange of ideas and solutions to common challenges in water sustainability. These connections are not only inspiring but are also a rich resource of knowledge and support for future collaborations.

I would like to extend my appreciation to RWSN and Women in WASH for organising such a life changing and career advancing program. Their dedication to empowering women in the WASH sector is truly inspiring, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of this initiative. I look forward to giving back and sharing my experiences with other emerging young professionals. I encourage anyone interested in the WASH sector to seek mentorship opportunities and connect with like-minded individuals.

Special thanks to my mentor, Elon Sooknanan, who generously shared his time and expertise in this journey. Through our sessions, I’ve gained the confidence to face challenges and opportunities head-on with belief and purpose.

Mentor’s Thoughts – Elon Ryan Sooknanan

“In March 2024, I had the privileged opportunity to mentor Gloria for six months through the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) mentorship program. Gloria’s experience was not only rich, resourced, and rewarding but truly a transformative one. She has always been persistent, consistent, and passionate about the issues of water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) in her community and by extension her country. Our initial conversations revealed a deep, unwavering commitment to making a difference, despite the multiple challenges she faced. As her mentor, I guided, supported, motivated, and inspired her. I shared my knowledge and experiences, and I helped her navigate the pathways of her professional aspirations. Mentoring Gloria has not only enriched her professional journey but has also deepened her understanding of networking and partnership and the critical importance of the 5Cs- culture, communicating, coordinating, collaborating and commitment in the field of WaSH. I look forward to seeing Gloria’s future successes and am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of her transformative journey of learning and growth” – Elon Ryan Sooknanan.

To join RWSN and be informed about the next round of the mentoring programme, please sign up here.

Functionality of water supply handpumps in Cameroon (Central Africa): a review of data from 310 councils

Handpumps have revolutionized access to safe and reliable water supplies in Sub-Saharan African countries, particularly in rural areas. They constitute a healthy and viable alternative solution when surface water is contaminated. Danert (2022) estimates that 200 million people in sub-Saharan depend on 700,000 handpumps to supply themselves with drinking water.

Unfortunately, many handpumps service face performance issues or premature failure due to technical or installation defects in the borehole or pump, operational and maintenance weaknesses, or financial constraints (World Bank, 2024). Statistics on the functionality of handpumps in Cameroon are very sparse and dispersed with very little data available. However, some studies show that 25% to 32% of handpumps in Cameroon are inoperative (RWSN, 2009; Foster et al., 2019).

Previous reviews of handpumps functionality data in Cameroon have been conducted, including RWSN (2009) and Foster et al. (2019). However, these estimations were based on partial data and thus may not reflect the situation in the country as a whole. In addition, the number of handpumps installed each year is constantly increasing, and there is a need to update functionality data. Thus the interest of the study.

The methodological approach used in this study was based on online searches. To do so, we searched, collected, and analyzed relevant data from the 310 Councils Development Plan (CDP) that had been collected from 2010 to 2022. Information sources included data sets and documents available online through the data portals of the National Community-Driven Development Program (PNDP).

Overall, based on the data analysed, the number of handpumps used as the main source of drinking water supply in Cameroon is 20,572, of which 9,113 are installed in modern wells and 11,459 in boreholes. Approximately 8.2 million people in Cameroon rely on a handpump for their main drinking water supply, which is equivalent to 36.8% of the population of Cameroon. Findings indicates that one in three handpumps in Cameroon is non-functional, which in 2022 was roughly equivalent to 6,724 inoperative water points. To put this in perspective, this number is about 33% of the total number of handpumps, enough to supply 2.7 million people, assuming 400 inhabitants per handpumps. According to this estimate, it is about 44.8 billion CFA francs, or 66.8 million USD, was invested in the construction of water points that are immobilized and do not generate any benefit (improved health, nutrition, or education).

Figure 1 presents estimations of non-functionality in the ten regions of Cameroon. This figure shows that the region that had the highest level of non-functional handpumps is the Adamawa region (43%), followed by the East region (39%), the Littoral (37%), the North (35%), the South (35%), the West (32%), the South West (31%), the Center (30%), the North West (30%), and the Far North (28%).

Figure 1 | Handpump functionality rate for Cameroon

The handpumps, like the Community Based Management, seem not to have given the expected results. The fact that some handpumps fail prematurely seems to indicate that technical defects (poor quality components and rapid corrosion) contribute to handpump failure and underperformance. Further, this review notes that questions related to the quality of handpump material and the corrosion of handpumps have not been sufficiently taken into account in the various research studies in Cameroon and Sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, Future research should focus on physical audits of handpumps, and handpump rehabilitation campaigns in order to shed light on these issues. Finally, preventing rapid corrosion of handpumps through regulations should be implemented in order to improve the performance of handpumps. Regulations may be implemented at the national, regional, or local levels, and it is advised to employ a pH threshold of less than 6.5 as a corrosion risk indication. Once they are more precisely defined, additional risk factors such as salinity, chloride, and sulphate levels can be added.

About the author:

Victor Dang Mvongo, MSc is a PhD Student at the University of Dschang (Cameroon) and an independent consultant in WASH. He conducted the work featured in this blog at the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences.

Further reading:

Mvongo D.V, Defo C (2024) Functionality of water supply handpumps in Cameroon (Central Africa). Journal of water, sanitation and Hygiene for development. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2024.085

References:

Danert, K. (2022) Halte aux dégradations Rapport I : Fiabilité, fonctionnalité et défaillance technique des pompes à motricité humaine. Recherche-action sur la corrosion et la qualité des composants des pompes à motricité humaine en Afrique subsaharienne. Ask for Water GmbH, Skat Foundation et RWSN, St Gallen, Suisse.

Foster, T., Furey, S., Banks, B. & Willets, J. 2019 Functionality of handpump water supplies: a review of data from sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. International Journal of Water Resources Development 36 (5): 855–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2018.1543117

RWSN 2009 Handpump data, selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. RWSN, St Gallen, Suisse. https://www.ruralwater-supply.net/_ressources/documents/default/203.pdf

Sextortion in Kenya: water sector CSOs lead bring down the legislative hammer

Photo 1: Hon.Esther Passaris Tabling the Petition for Amending the Penal Code. Source, Euphresia Luseka

This blog is written by Euphresia Luseka, RWSN Leave No One Behind theme co-lead.

The mood in the room was palpable, Furaha’s eyes were welling up with tears, I felt something rising in my throat. “They threw my water jerrycan away, held me tightly and raped me, taking rounds on me, I screamed but no one heard until I passed out, they then left me for dead and disappeared.” She got consciousness at the hospital.

Strongly appealing to the Government of Kenya Public Petitions Committee at Senate house, Hon.Esther Passaris argued, “Daily, women and girls in Kenya are coerced into sex for basic necessities such as water, employment, education or food. We must redefine sextortion in our laws, providing clear penalties, support systems for victims and measures for accountability to eradicate this blight in our society.”

In many countries, such pervasive incidents are hard to prosecute, partly due to the nature of existing legislation. Nevertheless, activists are relentlessly pressuring authorities by raising awareness on legal protection against sextortion.

Passaris, Women Representative, Nairobi City, has been at the forefront in sextortion solutioning with water sector actors. She tabled to Kenya Parliament a petition for debate; urging amendments to Kenya’s Penal Code to specifically include sextortion as a criminal offense. This legal tool lays details to fight against sexual exploitation in response to instances reported in the Water sector backed by research evidence and increasing lobbying championed by Sareen Malik, Executive Secretary African Civil Society Network for Water and Sanitation (ANEW) and Shivaji Malesi, CEO Kenya Water and Sanitation Network (KEWASNET).

Her petition has gained support from fellow legislators recognising need for stronger legal protection for women and girls.

“It’s a missed opportunity that this was not included in the initial Sexual Offences Bill,” further support came from Member of Parliament (MP) Hon.Jayne Wanjiru, criticising slow progress of protecting women’s integrity in corporate realms.

Sextortion in Kenya Water Sector Hits Tipping Point

Sex is a currency for accessing safe water in Kenya.

World Bank and Kenya Demographic and Health Survey Program confirm 60%-93% of slum households are dependent on informal urban water vendors for their water supply where public utilities fail to deliver. They not only charge high prices, sell low-quality water but also perform unfair water transactions to consumers especially women and girls.

Activists say that this leaves consumers vulnerable to harassment, sexual assault, or abuse. Water fetching is costing time and trauma.

“The tariff is unfair. Most water vendors are male. Sometimes they hike prices intentionally for not submitting to their advances. I am forced to pay more money given the limited options of water sources. They gang up with other men to spank and body shame women who deny them and it’s violating. During overcrowding they rub themselves on us,” Rosemary a Katwekera, Kenya dweller narrates painfully.

Indeed the Water Governance Facility report confirms that women may feel pressured to flirt or ‘play along’ with utility workers out of fear of having their connection cut off.

At a crowded water kiosk at Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Melissa affirms the report’s views, “Water is priceless in the ghetto especially during shortages. It is astonishing to see the lengths residents go to fetch leading to STDs, Early marriages and pregnancies. Even boys are affected. Women contract small boys to help them fetch water and sometimes pay them with sex.” Some would say it is the struggle for survival, but it is a normalization of a vice that is eating up our community.”

The price of a basic human right is high. They demand more than just money.

This is rape.

Photo 2: Consumers at Korogocho slum queue for water, Source, Euphresia Luseka

Naming and Shaming Sextortion to End it

Rebecca Root, IBA Southeast Asia Correspondentexplains that various forms of WASH related violence do exist: (a) Sexual violence (rape, assault, molestation, and inappropriate touching); (b) Psychological violence (harassment, sextortion, eve-baiting (public harassment of women by men), bullying or other actions that may cause fear, stressor shame; (c) Physical violence (beating or fighting leading to injury or death); (d) Sociocultural violence (social ostracism, discrimination, political marginalization or social norms that have negative impacts).

One of the most prevalent and silent forms of Water related violence and corruption is sextortion; defined by International Association of Women Judges as abuse of power to obtain a sexual benefit or advantage.

Malesi, informed “The local term for sextortion is ‘water for water’ which means sex for water. The vendors capitalize on socioeconomic vulnerabilities of women and girls to coerce them into sex for water while some women are forced to seduce vendors into sex for water.”

“It’s prevalent in all sectors, all regions, all countries. It affects women from all backgrounds,” details Marie Chêne, head of research and knowledge at Transparency International. She backs this with statistics from a Transparency International Research confirming in Latin America and the Caribbean, one in five people had either experienced sextortion or heard of someone who had. In Zimbabwe, 57% of women admitted being forced into sexual acts for jobs, medical care or schooling. In Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, almost half of respondents said sextortion occurs occasionally.

Here in Kenya, over 40% of women have experienced sextortion, finds the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) with Water sector recording an unprecedented number of women reporting being forced to sextortion further affirmed by a KEWASNET study; one out of ten women in Kenya’s informal settlements is a victim of sextortion.

This makes sex the main form of non-monetary bribes in Kenya’s water sector amid a deteriorating economy.

Still there is a Deafening Silence around Sextortion

Research that gathered sextortion voices on water access in Kenya, found out sextortion and sexual harassment was ‘a common phenomenon’ and ‘common knowledge to the residents.’

So why is little or no action taken against it?

Luz Nagle, Scholarship Officer of the IBA Human Rights Law Committee replies, “While many countries have legislation that covers transactional sex or sexual harassment, sextortion is unique in that it’s coercive and involves an abuse of power.” This is why there is still little or no action against it.

Kenya lawyers add the country ranks low on the UN gender inequality index; sextortion is difficult to prosecute as it is undefined in our existing legal framework, women cannot file a complaint and perpetrators cannot be held accountable. Low political will has further frustrated the efforts. Data is scanty with limited research and most victims and survivors do not report cases due to fear of reprisal following disclosure and unawareness on reporting mechanisms.

From personal experience, the fear of reprisal is what stops most people from reporting, there is no incentive for reporting corruption. They taint your image and stigmatise you instead. The justice system is too masculine and very few women leaders support you. Women and the poor suffer most from extortion, they earn the least yet pay the highest percentage of their income in bribes as affirmed by World Bank.

“There’s a lot of shame, social stigma, taboo linked with this kind of offense,” Marie said, adding that in some cases women are forced to marry an abuser or can be fined for adultery.

Measures to bring to light sextortion are desperately important as they are measures to curb the vice. According to Benazir Omotto of Umande Trust and other lobbyists the compounded effects of sex for water need strengthening of the community referral pathways and workplace ethics that links victims and survivors to appropriate support services including legal and financial support. CBOs like Polycom Development Project, Inua dada, Umande Trust have helped in compilation of the women and girls’ narrative as well as providing psycho-social support.

Still, Raising Awareness is not Enough

As Sareen works with water organizations to raise awareness on sextortion, she indicates the lack of belief and resistance to addressing the situation.

“Sextortion is not only happening at the taps but also corporate environments in higher-income contexts. To tackle it, those affected, who are predominantly women, need to be empowered to report incidents, safeguards should be established and perpetrators must be deterred by penalties,” Nagle asserts.

Meaning, dialogue needs to be sustained around this sensitive issue, to find its way into policy, planning and budgeting to ensure that efforts against the vice are sustained.

For this to happen, Countries must treat Sextortion as they would Corruption.

“Corruption takes place because it’s quid pro quo, it’s abuse of power,” Nagle adds, highlighting that the only difference here is that sexual acts are exchanged instead of money.

“Sextortion occurs at the intersection between corruption and sexual exploitation it tends to fall through the cracks and not get addressed by either,” guides Nancy Henry, Senior Advisor, IAWJ.

“When you do not have a name or do not recognize the practice, it is not measured, you do not collect statistics, you do not pass laws or think of strategies to address it including anti-corruption policies so it is invisible,” Marie Chêne, head of research and knowledge, Transparency International.

According to the IBA report ‘Sextortion: A crime of corruption and sexual exploitation’, published in 2020, anti-corruption laws fail to specifically focus on sexual favours and sexual offence laws don’t encompass the corruption component. This means the issue is often dismissed and considered consensual instead.

“Here in Kenya the law does not care because it sees anything other than screaming and fighting as consent,” Millicent a sexual assault survivor told Avaaz.

However, we have progress; the passage of Resolution 10/10 at 10th Conference of States Parties to the UN’s Convention Against Corruption is significant towards recognizing and addressing sexual corruption, including sextortion. It calls on states to raise awareness about the issue and take measures to prevent and prosecute sexual corruption effectively. It is a positive development that can help drive change and accountability in addressing sextortion at a global level. The Water Governance Facility offers a course on water integrity and gender covering sextortion to support authorities including judiciary with knowledge.

Victims petition Kenya legislators to change Law to provide penalties for Sextortion

Photo 3: Malesi making remarks during petitions handover, Source, Euphresia Luseka

Meanwhile, there are ongoing efforts to criminalise sextortion in other ways in Kenya. The Attorney General is under pressure for a bespoke legislation at national level that offers ‘clarity and consistency in defining sextortion and applicable sanctions, according to underlying requirements of the rule of law.

Sustaining the petition, MP Hon.Beatrice Elachi demanded broader implications of the amendment, “Sextortion challenges demand integrating changes across all relevant legislation to end the expectation of sexual favours for professional or personal advancement.”

“Sextortion is a significant infringement of human rights and obstacle to attaining SDG5 on gender equality, and SDG16.6 on accountable governance. By the end of 2024 we aim to have sextortion to be punishable by law in the penal code” Passaris said.

The petition has proposed amendments to the Penal Code, Section 4 and 146, CAP 63, 2024 of the Sexual Offences Act and any other relevant criminal laws.

“Sometimes it is men in positions of power harassing women and sometimes it is women harassing men, all gender need to fight sextortion,” said Hon. Caroli Omondi who took part in drafting the amendments.

This sextortion legal framework will enable adequate prosecution of sextortion cases, raise awareness, strengthen level of women’s participation and involvement in water decision-making structures; providing safe confidential and gender sensitive reporting mechanism that gives victims/survivors access to appropriate support to resources needed as well as empowering women and girls promoting a more just and equitable society for all.

Addressing Asia’s Safe Water Crisis: Innovative Solutions from 1001fontaines

Image: Pond dried up in Banteay Meanchey province.

by Amandine Muret, Chief Partnerships Officer, 1001fontaines, RWSN Member Organisation
Am.muret@1001fontaines.com

As Asia grapples with an intense heatwave, exacerbating the already acute lack of access to safe drinking water for vulnerable communities, the call for innovative and resilient water supply solutions becomes increasingly urgent. The World Water Forum, held in Bali from May 18 to 24, brought together governments and experts from around the world, including 1001fontaines, a global NGO distinguished by its two decades of on-the-ground experience in providing safe water to communities in challenging contexts.

A Water Crisis Exacerbated by Climate Change

South and Southeast Asia are currently experiencing record temperatures. In Cambodia, where the mercury has soared to over 40°C several times, levels unprecedented in 170 years, the situation is alarming. This extreme heat wave increases the vital need for drinking water while compromising access to uncontaminated water sources, crucial to meeting this need. In rural areas, the majority of inhabitants still rely on self-supply water solutions, such as wells or ponds – with increasingly intense droughts and floods due to climate change, vulnerable populations see their water sources affected, with impacts on their
resilience and health.

The World Bank recently estimated that $36.1 billion would be needed to develop missing water access infrastructure in Asia (source: “Funding a Water-Secure Future: An Assessment of Global Public Spending” report, published in May 2024). Climate change, impacting the accessibility and quality of water resources, requires even larger investments to establish sustainable and efficient supply systems in the face of new constraints, particularly in maintenance and treatment.

In development contexts, where financial and technical resources are limited, and existing service providers already struggle to cover maintenance costs due to low household purchasing power, the idea of having a tap of safe drinking water in every home seems increasingly out of reach. Innovative approaches like those proposed by 1001fontaines appear essential to avoid regression in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensuring universal access to safe water.

Social Innovation to Address the Vital Need for Safe Drinking Water

For over 20 years, 1001fontaines has been designing and deploying sustainable solutions for access to safe drinking water for vulnerable populations in Asia and Africa. By focusing on the needs of vulnerable communities, the organization emphasizes the quality of the water produced and the strengthening of local capacities through social entrepreneurship.

In concrete terms, 1001fontaines installs decentralized water treatment stations (“Water Kiosks”) and trains local entrepreneurs to deliver the produced drinking water directly to households and schools, all in reusable
20-liter bottles.

This service, offered at an affordable price, now reaches a million consumers daily across rural Cambodian communes, where the model was initiated, while covering its operating costs. After 20 years, 90% of the deployed Water Kiosks are still operational, and consumer satisfaction reflects sustainable behavior
change benefiting public health improvement.

Sharing Experiences at the World Water Forum

At the World Water Forum in Bali, 1001fontaines will share the lessons learned from its innovative approach. With operations now expanded to four countries (Cambodia, Madagascar, Vietnam, Bangladesh), the organization has demonstrated the resilience of its model in the face of development and climate change challenges.

Unlike traditional water supply systems, which aim to provide between 50 and 100 liters of water per person, often costly to implement in sparsely populated areas, 1001fontaines focuses on a more targeted consumption, between 1 and 3 liters of safe water per person per day. This cost-effective approach ($15 subsidized per beneficiary) reduces pressure on water resources while offering better quality control. By using reusable bottles delivered directly to homes, the distribution model is less susceptible to infrastructure aging or climate-related damage, with maintenance focused on water treatment facilities.

Another key advantage is adaptability. In Cambodia, 4 regional laboratories monthly monitor water quality at the 330 active sites, allowing the identification of quality changes, often localized and related to the effects of climate change, and enabling the local technical team to implement targeted and low-cost mitigation measures.

Amandine Chaussinand, General Manager of 1001fontaines’ local entity in Cambodia, Teuk Saat 1001, testifies: “We have achieved remarkable results over two decades of operations. We are proud to share them with academic institutions, development financing institutions, and governments at the Forum in Bali because we believe that better consideration of alternative water supply systems, such as bottled water, could accelerate access to safe water for the benefit of populations facing the impacts of climate change.”

Amandine Muret, Chief Partnerships Officer, emphasizes that “Collaboration with local authorities is a key factor in the success of 1001fontaines’ programs, as is the mobilization of development aid to finance infrastructure construction and capacity building, at the heart of the sustainability of the services implemented.”

As the G7 recently announced the creation of a global coalition to address the global water crisis, high-level political dynamics could promote exchanges of successful experiences and stimulate, in the coming years, social innovations in the field of access to safe drinking water. 1001fontaines intends to contribute at its level by continuing to grow its impact.

Choum Sophorn poses with her husband and twin four-year-old daughters in her home next to the 20 litre drinking water bottle that is delivered to her home every three days.

Teuk Saat 1001’s entrepreneur stands next to the UV filtration system and holds up some freshly filled bottles, ready to be sealed before delivering directly to customers in Kouk Pou commune.

About: For two decades 1001fontaines have worked to meet the needs of underserved communities through resilient water purification infrastructure and affordable and convenient services. We aim to encourage long-term behavior change and are proud that a million consumers across four countries in Asia and Africa have adopted our safe drinking water solutions.

Our 2030 ambition is to extend our impact by proving the relevance of our safe drinking water solutions in five countries and ensuring all our local partners are on track to reach financial viability at scale.

For more information: www.1001fontaines.com/en/

Addressing Water Challenges in Rural Fiji: The Mission of Save Our Fiji

This blog is written by Patricia Kroes, the founder of Save Our Fiji, which is a non-profit organisation that provides healthy and safe drinking water in the rural areas of Fiji.

Photo Credit: Viniana Bau

Fiji, known for its stunning beaches and pristine waters, is a tropical paradise. However, beyond the tourist destinations lies a harsh reality for many rural communities. In rural communities, access to clean and safe drinking water is a daily struggle for thousands of residents. Save Our Fiji, a non-profit organisation, is dedicated to tackling this pressing issue and ensuring that every individual in rural Fiji has access to clean water. In this blog post, we’ll explore the water challenges prevalent in rural Fiji and delve into the mission of Save Our Fiji in addressing these critical issues.

Water Challenges in Rural Fiji

Rural communities in Fiji encounter numerous obstacles in accessing clean water. Contamination of water sources is a significant concern, stemming from agricultural runoff, improper waste disposal, and inadequate sanitation facilities. This contamination leads to waterborne diseases and poses serious health risks to residents. Additionally, the accessibility of clean water is hindered by the remote locations of many rural communities. Residents often endure long journeys to fetch water, straining their time and energy, particularly for women and children.

Infrastructure shortcomings further compound the water crisis in rural Fiji. The lack of piped water systems and water treatment facilities contributes to unreliable water supply and poor water quality. Moreover, Fiji’s vulnerability to climate change exacerbates the situation, with changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather events affecting water availability and quality. Droughts, floods, and water scarcity are recurrent challenges faced by rural communities.