International Women's Day

"We can fight for our rights now," explains Mamona from Gwalior, India.

Credit: WaterAid / Marco Betti

Celebrated on 8 March, International Women's Day is a global day of recognition and celebration of women throughout the world.
  
The day was established almost 100 years ago out of women's struggle to achieve shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. Today it is remembered all over the world with events to celebrate women's advancement and highlight the need for continued action.

When the day began, the inequality experienced in the industrialised world spurred women on to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change.

Yet today in the developing world, women still face inequality and marginalisation due to their gender. Tragically it is the poorest women who suffer the most - not only from inequality, but also from the water and sanitation crisis.

The two are intrinsically linked. Women who spend hours each day collecting water cannot work to earn money. Their daughters, who help them, cannot go to school and get an education. And the lack of sanitation reduces their dignity and even puts them at risk from attacks; while both poor sanitation and water lead to ill health.

Too often women also lack the voice to be heard in decisions affecting their community, their area and their country. This means that they lack the voice they need at every level to ensure water and sanitation are prioritised in development.

Mamona, the head of a self help group in Awapura slum in India, explains how this can impact upon a community:

"Before, we used to struggle; the area wasn't getting enough water. There were often long queues and sometimes we spent the whole day queuing and didn't collect any water.

"We used to wear dirty clothes and we weren't able to work every day. There was always tension as to whether we'd be able to get water or not. We used to try and speak to our local government representative - they never paid us any attention."

When Momona and her neighbours became involved with WaterAid's partner, Sambav, life began to change. Together they lobbied their local government and demanded their rights to water. As a group they became strong, and their voices could not be ignored:

"Now we have links with the Commissioner and we can demand things from him directly. He listens to us and makes things happen! We are so empowered now and we have an organisation behind us. We can fight for our rights now."

WaterAid believes that it is vital for women to be actively involved in all stages of projects to ensure that their voices are heard and their needs respected.

"My status as a women has finally been recognised," says Nakwetikya from Ndedo village in Tanzania.

Credit: WaterAid / Alex Macro

With access to water and sanitation facilities, women then have time to earn an income, and their daughters can go to school. This enables them both to gain a more prominent role in the community as Nakwetikya from Ndedo village in Tanzania describes.

"My status as a woman has now been finally recognised. We are more important to the men now as they have been able to see the benefits to their lives of women who are happy and healthy.

"Three years ago, before we formed a committee and prepared ourselves as a community for the water source, men just saw women as animals. I think they thought of us as bats flapping about around them.

"They had no respect for us and no one would allow you to speak or listen to what you had to say. When I stand up now in a group meeting I am not an animal. I am a woman with a valid opinion. We have been encouraged and trained and the whole community has learned to understand us.

"Oh, when I think back to how we used to feel it was terrible. I was treated like a donkey only fit to carry baggage all the time. Or a scrap of paper … just rubbish in the wind.

"I can assure you though, that if you come back to visit us in the next few years you will see that women will be the leaders in this village. That will bring so many benefits to everyone!"

To find out more about the issues affecting women, watch Everywoman's interview with Biraj Swain, formerly of WaterAid India, on YouTube.