Water security in Africa is gender dependent

The demand for water is increasing and it is coming from competing needs ranging from domestic, industrial, and agricultural to hydropower and industry. The allocation of our limited water supply and how it is used is driven by socioeconomic and political factors. These include gender norms that often dictate how water resources are used, by whom, and where.

Climate change is exacerbating the challenges of water insecurity and longstanding inequalities. How people experience this depends on who they are, their location and what power they may or may not hold to make decisions on water use and its affordability.

As a result, there are calls for locally led adaptation and emerging place-based approaches in confronting climate change. These approaches continue to evolve, benefitting from the experiences of people  on the frontline of climate change. Critically, this requires listening to the voices and knowledge of women and marginalised groups ‒ who often have intimate knowledge of the land, water and seasonal changes where they live, but who are often left out of decision-making.

Water insecurity intensifies during the dry season in Africa. This affects women disproportionately as gender norms mean they are typically responsible for obtaining water for use in the home. When it is in short supply, women spend more time looking for water and risk confrontation over competing demands for more limited resources.

Men are also affected by water insecurity because of the gender norms that shape their responsibility for securing income for their families. In dryland communities, for example, male pastoralists trek for days looking for enough water for livestock.