Inequitable water access disproportionately impacts women in communities around the world.
Here are some solutions led by women.
A water crisis is definitely a womens crisis.
Many people suffer from dehydration and nutritional deficiencies when they cant keep water in.
Over the long term, this can lead to malnutrition,especially in children.
As climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather patterns, the world water crisis worsens.
president of Kora In Okrane (KIO)
Drought conditionslead to water scarcity, causing people to compete for resources or collect from dirty sources.
Rising sea levelscontaminate groundwater and other fresh water sourcesso it becomes salty and undrinkable.
Butwomen are disproportionately impactedstarting with bearing the burden of finding and distributing drinkable water to their families.
Thats a good chunk of time, especially carrying water for half of it.
It could be more than half your day, she says.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
The long walking distances and queues put womenat risk of sexual violenceand can exacerbate problems at home.
On their land holdings, women have respect and power to make decisions for their household.
But water scarcity on those islands has caused residents to migrate to Majuro.
president of Kora In Okrane (KIO)
So here, whoever is earning the income for the family has the power.
Away from their power base, [the displaced women] have issues at home.
Lack of access to clean water alsoaffects school attendance rates,as illness rates soar.
And it doesnt just cause unpleasant symptoms like diarrhea.
According to UNICEF, undernutrition in early years leads tostunted growth and child deaths.
This forces girls to miss four or more days a month, which can easily make them fall behind.
After missing so much school, many inevitably drop out.
Its almost an accepted occurrence in many places, says Evans.
Obviously they have the drivejust without the resources, they cant do anything with it, Evans says.
The women working on solutions
Water is Life.
When properly maintained, these filters can last over 10 years and are simple and affordable to replace.
Afterward, no one had symptoms anymore.
RMI residents also have more time now that they use the filters.
Thats really our strategy: to empower the woman and then she will empower her family.
Its a catalyst for everything; without it, nothing else is possible.
The children look healthier and better nourished because water-borne disease rates have fallen.
School attendance increases, too, especially for women.
For each additional year that a girl is in school, herfuture income goes up by 12 percent.
Recently, Well Aware worked on a project in northern Kenya where miles of arid land sat unused.
They werent having to take care of kids who were sick all the time, says Evans.
When women dont have to walk long distances, theyre safer, too.
So thats really our strategy: to empower the woman and then she will empower her family.
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