Women Bear the Heaviest Burden of the Global Water Crisis

Safe drinking water and sanitation are internationally recognised human rights because they are essential for living with dignity and maintaining good health.

Water touches every part of daily life, from drinking and cooking to farming, healthcare, education, and livelihoods. Yet for millions of women and girls around the world, getting safe water is not as simple as turning on a tap. The lack of clean water and proper sanitation continues to shape their health, education, safety, and future opportunities, making the global water crisis as much a gender equality issue as an environmental one. A new UN Women analysis highlights how unequal access to water and sanitation continues to deepen existing inequalities and calls for stronger action that places women and girls at the centre of water policies.

Water access is a basic right, yet millions remain left behind

Safe drinking water and sanitation are internationally recognised human rights because they are essential for living with dignity and maintaining good health. Access to clean water influences everything from childbirth and nutrition to school attendance and personal safety. Even with this recognition, millions of families continue to struggle to secure reliable water supplies, particularly in low-income communities, conflict zones, and areas affected by climate change.

The United Nations has made clean water and sanitation one of the Sustainable Development Goals through SDG 6, which seeks universal access by 2030. Progress has been made in many regions, though large gaps remain. The report notes that existing measurements often overlook the different experiences of women and girls, leaving many of the daily challenges they face invisible in official assessments. Without policies that recognise these realities, unequal access to water is likely to continue even where overall services improve.

Clean water also plays a vital role in healthcare. Around one million mothers and babies die each year because births take place in unsafe and unhygienic conditions where adequate water and sanitation are unavailable. Many of these deaths could be prevented through better access to safe water, proper hygiene, and improved healthcare facilities.

Women and girls spend countless hours collecting water while facing daily risks

Across many parts of the world, collecting water remains a responsibility carried mainly by women and girls. In seven out of every ten households without running water, they are the ones who travel to rivers, wells, or community pumps to collect water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Available data from 53 countries shows they spend three times more time on this task than men and boys, reducing the hours available for education, employment, rest, and personal development.

The journey itself can expose them to serious dangers. Women and girls may face harassment, violence, or exploitation while walking long distances or waiting at public water points. Similar risks exist when sanitation facilities are unsafe, poorly maintained, or located far from homes. Girls without secure toilets or menstrual hygiene facilities may skip school, while women often limit their participation in work or community life because basic sanitation is unavailable.

Period poverty adds another layer of hardship. Millions of girls lack affordable menstrual products and hygienic facilities, making menstruation a barrier to education and public participation. According to the report, 156 million girls aged between 10 and 19 still do not have access to basic hygiene services, affecting their health, confidence, and future opportunities.

Climate change is making these problems even worse. Severe droughts, floods, and changing weather patterns reduce available water supplies while increasing food insecurity. Women often work harder to secure water, food, and fuel for their families during these crises. Studies cited in the report also show rising levels of gender-based violence, child marriage, and displacement during periods of severe water scarcity, especially in regions already struggling with poverty and conflict.

Stronger investment and women's leadership are key to lasting solutions

The report stresses that solving the water crisis requires much more than building pipelines or drilling wells. Women must be involved in planning, managing, and governing water systems because they possess practical knowledge gained through their daily experiences. Despite carrying much of the responsibility for managing household water, women remain underrepresented in many formal decision-making bodies responsible for water governance.

UN Women recommends policies that protect women's human rights, improve access to nearby water and sanitation facilities, expand investment in infrastructure, reduce unpaid care responsibilities, strengthen menstrual health education, and ensure water resources are managed sustainably for future generations. Better collection of gender-disaggregated data is also seen as essential because it allows governments to understand who is being left behind and where support is needed most.

The organisation also highlights the financial challenge ahead. Achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030 will require around US$1 trillion in annual investment. While the amount is significant, the benefits stretch far beyond water itself. Better services improve health, raise school attendance, strengthen local economies, reduce poverty, and create safer communities where women and girls can participate more fully in public life.

As countries work toward the Sustainable Development Goals, the report argues that water should no longer be viewed only as a resource to manage but as a shared public good that supports equality, dignity, and opportunity for everyone. Giving women a stronger voice in shaping water policies could make the difference between temporary improvements and lasting change that reaches every household.