Water, Gender and Development in Africa

My watercolour painting . Water infiltrates (see what I did there?)  into every aspect of every persons life and as every individual has a gender identity, gender is intrinsic to this discussion.  Gender is an extremely important part of any discussion, particularly in development and water,   however it has not always been treated as such.  Topics surrounding equality and inclusion are currently center stage on the world platform and within policy, with movements like 'Times up' and 'Me Too' women across the global North are calling for equal footing and treatment in everyday life. It is in this political climate that I chose to write this blog on gender as it is important for us to decolonize our knowledge and look at the world not from the default viewpoint (usually from a privileged, Western, white and/or male stance) which provides a single story of places like 'Africa' and doesn't address many issues from the other side of gender.

We have to talk about water, – water is life. We have to think about water, – water is life. We have to dream about water, – water is life. We have to sing about water, – water is life. We have to drink water, – water is life. Everline Zesamaja, Voss Foundation Everline Zesamaja and her Swari Primary School in Samburuland, Kenya, 2010 Water is life. Think about the last shower you had? Or the last time you filled your water bottle? Or the last time you washed your hands? How much thought did you put into it? Think about how much of your daily life intersects with water. How much does water mean to you? Although we may not put much thought into the water we use, water use and access shapes the lives of many across the world. Globally, 2.1 billion people around the world do not have fully safe and managed water, meaning they must get water from an outside source, whether its for drinking, washing, cooking or agricultur