“The voices of women and girls are completely absent in water management”

Every day while going to school, I see girls my age, pregnant women and women with small kids carrying water. Collecting water eats up most of their time. Because of this arduous chore, they miss out on many opportunities, such as going to school, earning an income or enjoying leisure time. Their health also deteriorates as collecting water requires tremendous physical effort.

I decided to act, to empower women and support them in getting better access to water.

It wasn’t easy at first. I was brought up by my mother and grandparents in a conservative family and my grandparents didn’t want me to do advocacy in the community. However, the knowledge and advocacy skills I gained from “My Safe and Peaceful School” course made me strong.

People in the village listened to me and learned about the hardships women and girls face. The responsibility for providing water falls disproportionately on women and girls as they have to wash, cook and clean for the family, and they have to walk and carry water over long distances. Yet, the voices of women and girls are completely absent in water management processes.

On World Water Day, I spoke to the villagers about the need for women to be included in water management. I called on women to serve on local water management committees and I called on men to invite more women to important meetings. Because, only women are aware of their own water burden and how it affects their health, personal development and the well-being of their families.

Rural women’s lives can truly change if their water needs are addressed.”

With support from UN Women’s Livelihoods Through Participation and Equal Access to Water Project, funded by the Government of Finland, 16-year-old Dilera Mavlonova and her peers raised awareness about improving women’s and girls’ access to water resources and women’s leadership in water management.

Her story relates to Sustainable Development Goal 6 on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all and SDG 5, which promotes gender equality and calls for women’s leadership and participation in all aspects of life.

*SOURCE: UN Women. Go to ORIGINAL. 

2018 Human Wrongs Watch