Do you know that the global water crisis disproportionately affects women and girls? While we know the importance of clean water for health, education and overall well-being, most of us might not know how important it is for women and girls living in rural villages worldwide.
Do you know that the global water crisis. In many parts of the world, girls are responsible for fetching water for their families, and the lack of access to clean water can result in them missing school or facing health risks. They are the ones responsible for water collection in eight out of ten households where there is no accessible source of water. Globally, they spend an estimated 200 million hours every day just to collect water.
For many girls and women in developing nations, collecting clean water is not a simple chore but rather, a daily struggle. Most of the time, traditional gender roles place them in charge of collecting water for their families. This task is both physically demanding and time-consuming.
Without easy access to clean water, women are uniquely vulnerable to ill-health and at times, abuse, making it difficult for them to study, work and live with dignity.
The burden of collecting water also affects the girls’ and women’s access to education and economic opportunities. Young girls are unable to attend school regularly due to being tasked with collecting water, hence further perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Fatimah’s Daily Struggle for Water
“I used to carry water from my aunt’s well, which was a physically demanding task. I used to carry two heavy containers of water on both sides of my hands, making the process incredibly difficult.”
El Fatimah, living in Trapeang P’e Village, Cambodia
Fatimah, a 33-year-old woman from the Trapeang P’e Village, is a mother of two children. She and her husband are both farmers, earning an estimated $8 to $10 a day. With the income barely enough to meet their basic needs, the family often had to rely on others. However with the installation of a reliable water source, a burden has lifted off Fatimah’s shoulders.
She shared her experience, saying, “Before Global Ehsan Relief Cambodia installed a Community Water Well for our family, accessing clean water was a major challenge for us. I used to carry water from my aunt’s well, which was a physically demanding task. I used to carry two heavy containers of water on both sides of my hands, making the process incredibly difficult. Taking a bath was also a hassle, as I often went to my aunt’s house to take a bath because it was too difficult to carry the water home.”
Fatimah and her family’s lives have changed for the better now, with your support for a new Community Water Well.
“Now, we have easy access to clean water for various purposes such as cooking, bathing, performing ablutions, and watering our livestock. The water from the community well is not only convenient but also safe for drinking. The community water well is not used by just my family. Other families in this village can also benefit from this invaluable resource. We are incredibly grateful to the generous donors and Global Relief Ehsan Cambodia for their efforts in installing this well for us.”
Fatimah’s testimonial serves as a beacon of hope, demonstrating how a single Community Water Well can ease the lives of families in poor communities, especially women. Her story highlights the transformative power of clean water access and how vital it is to empower women by reducing their water-related struggles.
You have the power to alleviate the heavy burden women and girls bear in their quest for clean water when you support our Care for Clean Water projects.
