WaterAid India

In the heart of rural India, the fight for access to clean water and adequate sanitation frequently determines daily routines. These basic necessities have always been the responsibility of women, who walk great distances to obtain water and manage home cleanliness with limited funds. But today, their role is undergoing a remarkable transformation.

WaterAid India is a non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming lives by improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. The organisation focuses on marginalised and vulnerable communities, striving to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has access to these essential services.

According to the World Bank (2020), 49% of the urban population in India, resides in slums. The urban slum dweller’s desire for a better life has only been partially fulfilled, as people continue to fight for necessities such as clean drinking water and adequate toilets.

More than 10,000 people in Bhagalpur and Buxar districts of Bihar have been given access to life-saving clean, drinking water through Halma plc’s Water for Life campaign in partnership with WaterAid.

Convened to mark the successful conclusion of the Women+Water Alliance project in select districts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, U.S.

The impact of climate change on people’s water supplies is threatening to put progress on bringing clean water to all back decades unless urgent action is taken to help the world’s poorest communities adjust to changing weather patterns. 

This year, Global Handwashing Day (observed annually on October 15) is particularly significant given the COVID-19 pandemic. While vaccine trials are ongoing, protective actions such as handwashing with soap is a critical first line of defence and cost-effective public health intervention.

Water insufficiency is a challenging problem globally with 1 in 10 people lacking a basic water pump or covered well close to home.

Historically, water is a gendered burden, with women being the primary caregivers responsible for cooking, washing and cleaning chores in the house and in modern times in institutions (teachers, anganwadi and healthcare workers). Women have traditionally been associated with various water related tasks - be it collecting, fetching, or purifying water.

While the WatSan sector has been prioritised in the country’s policy agenda through the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission, last year’s budgetary outlay was way below desired levels.