The water crisis and women: What you need to know this World Water Day

Many miles and hours later, she will return home carrying enough water for drinking, cooking and washing. Her daughter didn’t attend school today. To collect enough water for their family, she had to come along, too.  

For millions of women and girls around the world, this isn't an occasional hardship. It's their daily reality.  

As we observe World Water Day, it’s important to recognize a truth that often goes unnoticed: The global water crisis is also an equality crisis. 

Lack of access to clean, safe water doesn’t affect everyone equally. In many communities, the responsibility of collecting water falls almost entirely on women and girls.  

The result is a hidden burden that impacts their safety, education, health and economic opportunities.  

The global water crisis in numbers 

Water is essential to life, yet millions of families still lack access to safe drinking water. 

In communities without reliable water infrastructure, people must travel long distances to collect water from rivers, wells or communal taps. These journeys can take hours each day and often involve carrying heavy containers across rough terrain. 

But the responsibility for this task rarely falls equally among family members. 

In 80% of households without water on their premises, women and girls are responsible for collecting water. In fact, globally, women and girls spend a collective average of 200-250 million hours each day collecting water.  

This pattern reflects deeply ingrained gender roles that place the burden of water collection on females from a very young age. 

While the task may appear simple, the consequences are far-reaching. Water collection can shape a girl’s entire future—affecting whether she achieves her right to a quality education, whether she is safe in her community and whether her family can escape poverty. 

Why women and girls bear the burden of water collection 

In many cultures, water collection is considered a woman’s responsibility. Girls often begin helping with this task at an early age, learning to carry containers long before they reach adolescence. 

What starts as a household chore gradually becomes a daily obligation that consumes much of their lives. 

Collecting water can involve:

— Walking several miles to reach the nearest water source, endangering a woman or girl’s physical safety 

— Carrying containers that weigh up to 40 pounds when full, leading to chronic neck and shoulder pain as well as spinal damage. 

— Facing exposure to water-borne bacteria and diseases.  

Women and girls traveling long distances to collect water may face harassment, assault or other forms of gender-based violence—especially when water sources are isolated or when journeys occur early in the morning or after dark. 

For many families, however, there is no alternative. Without water, daily life simply cannot continue. 

How the water crisis disrupts girls’ education 

Another devastating consequence of the water crisis is its impact on education. 

In water-scarce communities, girls are frequently kept home from school so they can help collect water for their families. What might seem like a temporary sacrifice often becomes a long-term pattern. 

A girl who misses school regularly struggles to keep up with lessons. Over time, she may fall behind her classmates or drop out entirely. 

Children who have achieved an education are more likely to:

— Earn higher income as adults 

— Enjoy better physical and mental health as adults 

— Break generational cycles of poverty, abuse and neglect by achieving economic stability and providing better opportunities for their own children 

For girls, the absence of water and sanitation facilities creates additional barriers. 

Many schools in water-scarce regions lack basic infrastructure such as safe drinking water, functioning toilets or places for girls to manage their periods privately. Without these facilities, girls often feel unsafe or embarrassed attending school—particularly after reaching adolescence. 

In some cases, girls stop attending altogether once they begin menstruating. 

Ensuring access to clean water and proper sanitation in schools is therefore not only a public health issue—it is also a critical step toward achieving gender equality in education. 

How water scarcity traps families in poverty 

Women and girls’ opportunities for education, employment and community participation shrink dramatically when faced with the time-intensive and dangerous task of collecting water. 

For women, this means fewer chances to start businesses, develop job skills or contribute financially to their households. 

For girls, it means lost classroom time that can never be fully recovered. 

Communities also feel the impact. Research shows that, when women are economically empowered, communities are better equipped to recover from crises—whether natural disasters, armed conflict or even global market shifts and inflation.   

Water scarcity therefore doesn’t just affect individual households—it can limit the development of entire communities. 

Read more about how women’s economic empowerment can end poverty.  

The transformational power of clean water 

Access to safe water close to home changes everything. 

Women who once spent hours each day walking for water suddenly gain time to work, care for their families or participate in community activities. Girls who previously missed school can attend regularly and focus on their education. Families benefit from improved health as access to safe drinking water reduces the spread of waterborne diseases. 

Clean water also supports better hygiene and sanitation practices, which are essential for preventing illness and promoting dignity. 

Clean water is more than a basic necessity—it is a catalyst for opportunity. 

How you can help address the water crisis 

Every child deserves a safe, loving, educated and healthy childhood—which includes essential resources such as clean water. 

When families have reliable water sources, children are healthier, parents can focus on earning a living and girls can stay in school. 

 With your water gifts from our Gift Shop, you can deliver clean water to the children and families who need it most.  

With your gift, you can:  

— Help a community share a well 

— Install a hand pump 

— Construct a handwashing station or toilet in a school 

Together, this World Water Day, we can ensure that fewer girls have to walk miles for water—and more girls can walk confidently into their futures. 

*Names changed to protect privacy.   

Shop the full catalog