Empowered by Water: How WASH Access Shapes Women’s Lives in Zambia and Honduras

A study by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and World Vision International reveals that access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services significantly influences women’s empowerment in rural Zambia and Honduras. Improved WASH access enhances women's confidence, decision-making, and agency, though impacts vary by local context.

A compelling new study by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and World Vision International has unveiled how access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is intricately linked with women’s empowerment in rural communities of Zambia and Honduras. Drawing on data from over 3,400 households, the research delves into how seemingly basic services like a nearby water source or a functional handwashing station can have profound impacts on women’s confidence, autonomy, decision-making power, and community participation. The findings hold critical implications for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 and 6, which target gender equality and clean water and sanitation, respectively.

The Gendered Burden of Water Collection

In both Zambia and Honduras, women and girls overwhelmingly bear the responsibility for fetching water, often at great personal cost. This daily chore often invisible to outsiders limits their time for schooling, paid work, or rest. The study finds that in Zambia’s Mufumbwe district, where water-fetching takes significantly longer than in other areas, girls are particularly affected. With an average of 72 minutes spent daily collecting water, many girls risk being pulled out of school to meet household needs. This disproportionate burden, compounded by larger family sizes and limited access to basic hygiene services, can trap girls in cycles of poverty and disempowerment. Although the total time spent fetching water did not directly correlate with self-efficacy in this study, the long-term social and educational costs are substantial and well-documented in related literature.

Empowerment Through Access: Zambia's Stronger Link

In Zambia, the connection between WASH access and women’s empowerment appears notably stronger than in Honduras. Women in households with access to improved sanitation and water treatment reported higher levels of self-efficacy—a measure of intrinsic agency reflecting confidence in one's ability to achieve goals and manage life challenges. Moreover, access to water was associated with lower acceptance of gender-based violence among male household members. These findings suggest that when basic needs are reliably met, women may gain more confidence and social status, possibly shifting harmful gender norms in the process. However, no strong correlation was observed between WASH access and spousal control, indicating that deeper intrahousehold dynamics require more than material improvements to transform.

Instrumental agency, particularly in the form of agricultural decision-making, was also positively influenced by access to WASH in Zambia. Women in households that regularly treated drinking water or had better sanitation facilities were more involved in deciding how agricultural resources were used. Interestingly, when women were also tasked with water-fetching, their decision-making input declined—reinforcing the idea that time poverty hinders empowerment. Participation in savings groups, a sign of collective agency, was positively correlated with hygiene access, though this may also reflect higher disposable income or health standards among such households.

Honduras: A Complex and Contradictory Landscape

In contrast to Zambia, the relationship between WASH access and empowerment in Honduras is more nuanced and, in some cases, inversely correlated. While water treatment still showed a positive connection with women’s participation in agricultural decisions, other indicators told a different story. Women in households with improved sanitation and consistent water availability were less likely to have input into agricultural production decisions. The authors suggest this may be because improved infrastructure reduces the traditional domestic responsibilities through which women have historically exercised influence paradoxically lessening their perceived value in household decision-making. This outcome underscores that empowerment is not simply a matter of removing burdens, but of ensuring women are meaningfully included in the decision-making processes that follow.

Additionally, better water availability was linked to lower participation in savings groups and loans, which may reflect different household financial behaviors or levels of dependency in higher-resource households. Unlike Zambia, no significant associations were observed in Honduras between WASH access and women’s self-efficacy or attitudes about violence highlighting the need for deeper, context-sensitive analysis.

Water Treatment: A Shared Signal of Agency

One of the most consistent and interesting findings across both countries was the link between regular water treatment and women’s decision-making power in agriculture. Regardless of whether they lived in Zambia or Honduras, women in households that treated drinking water were more likely to have a voice in how farming was managed. This correlation suggests that when women have the autonomy to make decisions that directly affect household health and safety, they are also more likely to exercise influence in other domains. It may also indicate that empowered women actively seek ways to protect their families, making water safety a key priority. This echoes similar findings from studies in India and elsewhere, where women’s empowerment was linked with the adoption of health-promoting behaviors like water treatment.

Beyond Access: Toward Transformative WASH Programs

While the study makes clear that access to WASH services is important, it also emphasizes that access alone is not enough. Drawing on empowerment theory by scholars like Naila Kabeer, the authors argue that true empowerment requires not just resources but meaningful change in decision-making power, social norms, and household dynamics. WASH interventions, then, must be designed not only to improve infrastructure but to shift the gendered structures that dictate who controls those resources. Programs that engage both men and women, challenge gender roles, and build women’s leadership in community WASH decisions are more likely to result in sustainable and transformative outcomes.

This research adds critical nuance to global development discussions, showing that water is more than a utility—it is a conduit for power, dignity, and gender equity. The study’s findings offer valuable guidance for policymakers and organizations aiming to implement WASH programs that do more than deliver services they deliver empowerment.