Water is life and central to socioeconomic development. As we celebrate Women’s Day under the theme “Accelerating Socio-Economic Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment”, let us remember that water is central to socioeconomic development and ensure that access to water is a priority if women are to seize the opportunities available to them.
The centrality of water to life can never be disputed or downplayed, which makes water essential and crucial for women empowerment. Without water, women empowerment will remain a pipe dream, especially for rural women. To accelerate socioeconomic opportunities for women empowerment, we must first speed up the provision of water. Access to water will unlock access to all other socioeconomic opportunities for women’s development and empowerment.
Access to water will ensure that women can compete on an equal footing with men for available opportunities. Lack of access to water means women have to spend most of their time collecting water for their households, but access to water will ensure that women have enough time to explore and engage in the socioeconomic opportunities available.
Lack of access to water also exposes women to all forms of abuse and this knocks their confidence, but access to water will ensure that women are protected and have the confidence to pursue the available socioeconomic opportunities.
Access to water also ensures that women have access to proper sanitation facilities. As the department of water & sanitation says, “Water is Life, Sanitation is Dignity”. Access to proper sanitation will restore women’s dignity and confidence and ensure that they focus on self-development and empowerment.
Ensuring access to water for women empowerment is everybody’s business. As individuals, we must protect water infrastructure and use the available water wisely to ensure everyone has access as SA is a water-scarce country which cannot afford to lose even a single drop of precious water. If we all have access to water, women will not suffer and will be empowered. We all have the responsibility to protect water resources and prevent water infrastructure vandalism to ensure that everyone has access to water.
Government has the responsibility to accelerate universal access to water for all to ensure that women have the time to partake and enjoy socioeconomic opportunities and be empowered. Government must therefore fast-track and intensify water supply infrastructure developments and the maintenance and operations of available infrastructure. This will go a long way in providing an equal footing for women to participate and take up the available opportunities aimed at women development and empowerment. Communities must assist government and play an active role in monitoring the implementation of projects to ensure quality products on time.
The business sector also has a role to play in ensuring that communities have access to clean, quality water. They must assist in water provision as part of their social responsibility initiatives to ensure access to water for everyone.
Themba Khoza
Communication Services, Mpumalanga provincial operations
Department of water & sanitation
Via email
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