Poor water and sanitation affects women more in African
societies, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has said.
The added that
the discrepancy is gender based as African women bear the brunt through
inequality, especially when it comes to access to education for girls and
women.
“In Africa
drawing water, transportation, storage and use, and cleanliness of public and
private facilities are mostly the responsibility of women who are most affected
by scarcity of water and insufficient water supply,” it said.
In rural areas
women and girls are obliged to trek up to 15 kilometers every day to fetch
water while in urban areas insufficient water supply results in long waiting
lines lasting hours and causing social conflicts.
“Poor sanitation facilities also
cause high number of girls drop out in school when they reach puberty that is
why water and sanitation programmes should have gender equality in planning,”
AfDB added.
AfDB said that under its Rural Water Supply and
Sanitation Initiative launched in 2003 in partnership with other donors 51
million people have access to clean drinking water and it has aided in building
sanitation facilities for 34 million people, of whom 50 per cent are women.
The initiative seeks to involve a gender approach while
offering water and sanitation projects to contribute in reduction of
water-related chores and increase rate of school attendance for girls, increase
income generating activities and create healthy environment.
“These projects
need better representation by women in decision-making committees which decreases
acts of violence and aggression against women who fetch water from long
distances,” the bank said.
Women should also be involved during
financing and management of water resources between institutions which will transform the
current cultural and social order in the continent.
“This
cooperation will also contribute to the eradication of poverty and
underdevelopment faced primarily by women and children,” it stressed.
Manuel Odeny ©
2013
