When water flows, equality grows

Have you ever thought about the link between water and gender? It has probably never crossed your mind, yet every day that link is played out in our communities and our homes. Water is life for all of us, and for World Water Day, the United Nations underscores that everyone must have ready access to this limited resource.

But that’s not the reality for everyone. According to a recent UN report, the global water crisis falls hardest on women and girls. The data shows that 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, and women and girls spend an estimated 250 million hours every day simply collecting water for their families.

Even though women are the primary managers of water at the household level, they often remain absent from the “high-level” tables where big decisions about pipes, prices, and policies are made. This disconnect can lead to solutions that don’t quite meet the needs of those who use the water most.

Here in Barbados, while our challenges look different, the message remains the same. Whether it is a mother waking up at 3 AM to catch water during a drought, or a female entrepreneur having to pause her business during an outage, the burden is real. World Water Day is a vital reminder that for our island to prosper, women must have adequate and equal access to water to run their businesses, manage their families, and take care of their health.

In our Sunday Sun special feature, experts agree that while Barbados is on the right track, the work must continue. As we push toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of providing clean water and sanitation for everyone, we explore why the future of this precious resource depends on the leadership and voices of our women.

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