For a world where no girl has to spend hours fetching water every day. Water that might not even be clean. This March, we walk for girls' right to clean water.
MARCH FOR WATER
Every day, millions of girls must spend hours fetching water for their families. This time causes them to miss important hours in school or drop out entirely.
The March for Water campaign brings together businesses, municipalities, schools, and individuals for a shared goal: to ensure no girl has to miss school because there is no water.
By joining the campaign, you contribute steps in WaterAid’s step counter app to raise awareness of how vital clean water is for girls' rights. With your involvement and donations, WaterAid can work toward a world where everyone, everywhere, has access to clean water, and no girl has to fetch water and risk her health.
Join us this March to give more girls the chance for a brighter future. Every step counts!
You can easily download the March for Water app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android).
Want to do more?
Why we walk
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
- 703 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 7 out of 10 households it’s the women and girls that are tasked with fetching water.