by Ekemini Ekpo
In many rural communities in Niger and Mali, water collection is understood to be the work of women and girls. It is a responsibility that structures every other part of a woman or girl’s day. When water is close and reliable, that responsibility takes one or two hours. When water sources dry up, move further away, or become seasonal, that same responsibility can consume four to eight hours of every single day.
When a girl spends four hours collecting water, she is not in school. When a woman spends six hours walking to a water source and back, she is not farming, not earning, not resting, not caring for her children the way she wants to.
The education cost no one talks about enough
UNESCO estimates that women and girls collectively spend approximately 200 million hours per day collecting water globally. For girls specifically, this is one of the leading reasons for school dropout and poor attendance in rural areas across Africa and Asia. Girls who miss school to collect water fall behind academically, are more vulnerable to early marriage, and have fewer economic options as adults.
A study conducted across rural communities in Tanzania found that when a clean water source was installed within 30 minutes of a community, girls’ school attendance increased by up to 15 percent within one school year. Water access is a girls’ education issue. Once Wells Bring Hope drills a well in a rural community, girls are able to get an education, and women have their time freed to pursue income-generating work, which often includes starting a business.
Physical safety on the water collection journey
Longer walks to water sources often mean passing through isolated terrain, sometimes before dawn or after dark. For women and girls, this increases the risk of physical attack and gender-based violence. Research from multiple sub-Saharan African countries has consistently found that women and girls face higher safety risks when water sources are distant. This is a reality that communities and governments rarely name out loud, but one that women experience every single day.
The health burden of contaminated water on women’s bodies
Women carry a disproportionate share of the health burden from unsafe water. Diarrhea caused by contaminated water kills approximately 485,000 people annually, according to the World Health Organization. In rural settings, women who are responsible for preparing food and caring for sick family members are the most exposed. Pregnant women who drink contaminated water face higher risks of complications. Women with compromised immunity from frequent illness are less able to work, produce food, or generate income.
Wells Bring Hope’s large-scale water project is specially designed to meet the needs of rural health clinics. The solar-powered system draws clean water from deep underground and provides taps directly in treatment and delivery rooms, giving clinic staff an unlimited supply of safe water. Handwashing stations and a waste disposal system dramatically improve hygiene and health outcomes meaning women can give birth in clean, safe conditions.
When we drill a well in Niger or Mali, the impact on women and girls is immediate and lasting. Girls spend less time walking for water and more time in school, opening doors to education and economic independence.
Women travel shorter, safer distances, reducing their daily exposure to physical risk. And rural health clinics gain access to clean water that makes safe deliveries and proper hygiene possible. Three burdens: lost time, physical danger, and preventable illness are lifted by one drilled well.
Sources
Collecting water is often a colossal waste of time for women and girls: UNICEF
Provide Clean Drinking Water for School Children in Tanzania
