Every day, millions of girls and women all over the world walk for hours in search of water. Water that is dirty and hazardous to drink. It's time to change that! Access to clean water is a human right. Support the fight for everyone's right to clean water by joining the March for Water.

771 million people lack access to clean water today. In 8 out of 10 households without access to water, the task of fetching water for the family falls on girls and women.

Fetching water can take several hours a day. This means that many women do not have time to work and many girls are forced to drop out of school. This leads to a greater risk of being trapped in long-term poverty.

To highlight everyone's right to clean water, WaterAid runs the March for Water campaign every March, highlighting the impact of the water crisis on girls and women worldwide. The goal is to take 771 million steps together - one for every person living without clean water.

When you get involved in March for Water, you contribute to a more equal world while having fun with others!

Download our app

Open Google Play or App Store on your smartphone and search for "WaterAid" or "March for Water". The app is free to use.

Then all you have to do is download the app, activate the connection to your health app, and wait for March!

We are walking together all throughout March, download the app today and join us. You can start anytime during March!

Do you have a question or experiencing an issue with the app?
Find the answer here >

Download our app

Download the app, activate the connection to your health app, and wait for March! The app is free to use.

We are walking together all throughout March, download the app today and join us. You can start anytime during March!

Klicka här för att ladda ner appen på din mobil.

 

Do you have a question or experiencing an issue with the app?
Find the answer here >

 

Tre bilder från appen som visar en jordglob, topplista och statistik.

 

We will support you while you’re walking! Follow us on Instagram. We post fun and inspiring tips on how you keep the motivation up to walk with us every day.

Follow our playlist on Spotify for motivation and great walking music!

Illustration av en dunk.

Want to do more?

Why we walk

Having to fetch water instead of going to school is something that affects girls' opportunities for the rest of their lives. Women having to carry water instead of being able to work and earn their own income is a major constraint. Clean water is a prerequisite for an equal world. Join us in March for clean water!
Anna Nilsdotter, CEO WaterAid Sweden

Our partners

We are delighted that Weight Watchers Swedenis a partner of the March for Water for the third year in a row! The partnership means they are engaging their members to walk for clean water. In addition to Weight Watchers Sweden, many other companies have chosen to support the fight for the right of all women and girls to clean water.

Would your company or association also like to get involved in the March for Water?

Logotyper för Xylem, Nilörn, ViktVäktarna och Göta Energi

Elajo
GANT
Sanofi
AVEKI
Uppsala Vatten & Avfall AB
Eden Springs

How does it help?

How does it help women and girls in vulnerable parts of the world that we walk?

By registering your steps, you are helping to raise awareness of the lack of clean water and how it affects girls and women the most.

Through the March for Water campaign, we are raising awareness of the problem together, and encouraging people to get involved by spreading information and supporting WaterAid's work through donations or their own fundraising efforts. With this support, we can reach more people in the world with clean water, contributing to a more equal world. 

Several companies, associations and schools are also taking part in the campaign, raising awareness and contributing through fundraisers or donations so that we can reach more people with clean water. 

How does the lack of water, toilets and hygiene affect the lives of women and girls?

The consequences of the lack of clean water, toilets and hygiene often hit women and girls particularly hard as they have to spend time and energy fetching water. This often leads to inability to work or attend school. 

The lack of toilets can also pose a safety risk for women and girls. When toilets are not available at home, in schools, hospitals or other public places, many are forced to relieve themselves outdoors, often in secluded places under the cover of darkness. For women and girls, this can mean an increased risk of harassment and abuse.

For example, giving birth without clean water, toilets or washing facilities is directly life-threatening and leads to the death of many women and newborn babies from preventable infections.

How do we work?

How is WaterAid working to ensure that all women and girls have access to clean water?

WaterAid works to increase access to clean water, toilets and good hygiene in communities where it is currently lacking. WaterAid often works with a strong focus on schools and hospitals so that girls can get an education and women can give birth without risking death from infections.  

When WaterAid drills wells or builds toilets, we are mindful to make sure there are opportunities for women to mobilize and learn about the process. When women take responsibility for designing, implementing and maintaining projects, it leads to increased economic opportunities, independence and empowerment in the community. By improving access to clean water, WaterAid aims to contribute to work towards a more equal world where fewer women are trapped in long-term poverty and where the human rights of all women are respected.

Facts and statistics

  • 711 million people lack access to clean water today. That is every tenth person in the world. 
  • In many countries, a standard jerry can contain 20 litres of water. That means that women must carry 20 kilos of water for long distances, often many times a day.
  • In 8 out of 10 households it’s the women and girls that are tasked with fetching water.
  • Nearly half of health facilities in the world's low-income countries, and almost a quarter of health facilities globally, lack access to clean water.
  • 29 per cent of all schools globally lack clean water.