Women and Water: Creating Fair Systems That Strengthen Communities and Support Gender Equality in South Africa

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South Africa faces an escalating water emergency rooted not primarily in a shortage of the resource itself, but in the deterioration of the systems responsible for delivering it. Approximately half of all water that undergoes treatment never successfully reaches its intended recipients, disappearing instead through crumbling and poorly maintained pipelines and infrastructure.

The crisis carries profoundly uneven consequences across society. Communities already vulnerable to economic and social marginalization bear the heaviest impact, as inconsistent and unpredictable water access reinforces existing inequalities. The burden falls with particular severity on women and girls, who disproportionately shoulder the responsibility of securing water for their households when reliable supply breaks down.