Ahead of the launch of the report Les femmes et les luttes pour la justice de l’eau, a live virtual Twitter conversation was held on October 26, 2021 with French-speaking feminist activists. The main speakers were Agueh Dossi Sekonnou Gloria from Benin and Maimouna Astou Yade from Senegal. The conversation was moderated by Melizah Memena of Urgent Actionf Fund-Africa.
In French-speaking Africa, as in other parts of the continent, access to water and the management of water points are at the heart of major issues, and are sources of conflict and even stigmatization for marginalized and minority groups.
Feminists talk about the difficulty of accessing resources
Maimouna Yade highlighted the scarcity of water in Senegal’s capital. Recurrent water cuts are part of everyday life in Dakar. The water management company does not necessarily give prior notice of the incidence of these cuts, which can lead to tension among the population. The Senegalese activist also mentioned that even in regions where water resources are abundant, access is not always resolved. She also spoke of women’s difficulty in gaining access to water, if only for hygiene purposes. Women farmers, for example, see their access to water restricted and limited, despite the struggle they wage. Gender mainstreaming in national water policy is not effective in Senegal”, concluded Maimouna Astou Yade.
Gloria Dossi Sekonou Agueh expressed her satisfaction with water management in Benin. According to the founder of the Regional Network of Women Leaders for Development (RFLD), the Beninese people have sufficient access to water. She pointed out that access to water is organized so that each household can decide on its water source, whether it be the Société Béninoise de l’Eau, or the foundation of a private borehole. Despite the availability of water, Gloria Agueh reminded us that some women still do not have access to water, as the price of water is far from affordable compared to the standard of living of the local population. Women selling at the market and/or in fishmongers’ shops, she insists, do not enjoy water as they should.
The discussion continued in such a way that all the speakers were able to highlight women’s struggle for equitable access to water. The audience also contributed to the discussion, highlighting the difficulties women face in gaining access to drinking water in many countries. According to them, the lack of initiative at governmental and civil society level also contributes to these difficulties of access to water. In particular, the absence or weakness of legal frameworks designed to facilitate access, pollution, lack of facilities and weak governance are all obstacles to equitable access to water. It should also be remembered that water collection, which is mainly carried out by women and girls, affects the lives of millions of women around the world on a daily basis (girls and women in Africa spend an average of 3 to 4 hours a day collecting water). This is another very common example of gender inequality. According to UNICEF, it also contributes to the feminization of poverty, since 70% of people living in poverty are women.
Marginalized African women pay the highest price
In Sub-Saharan Africa, water coverage rates remain low. Over 40% of the population has no access to drinking water. In fact, having enough water is not enough to supply populations with water. Mastery and control of this resource are equally important factors. Water is continually at the heart of humanity’s greatest crises, such as the climate crisis, the hunger crisis and the crisis of armed conflict. The overall aim of the Urgent Action Fund Africa report is to lead a year-long campaign for water justice for African women. The report highlights the divergence of opinion on the root causes of water problems and how to address them. The dominant neoliberal vision, on the one hand, promoted by mainstream economists, international financial institutions such as the World Bank, intergovernmental institutions such as the United Nations, and international donor agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). They see the water crisis as a technical problem caused by accelerating population growth, climate change and the inability of national decision-makers to manage and distribute water effectively. The solutions proposed by these neoliberals consist in handing over the control and management of water to multinational corporations. Under this neoliberal concept, the commercialization of water has become commonplace: water has an economic value and must be recognized as an economic good. As a result, African women from the poorest marginalized communities remain the first victims of this neoliberal policy: access to water is becoming a luxury in relation to household incomes, and the legitimacy of cut-offs for those unable to pay their bills.
On the other hand, a radical alternative vision to the neoliberal model has been developed by feminists and ecofeminist organizations such as the African Ecofeminist Collective, pan-African movements like Africans Rising, social movements like the Anti-Privatization Forum and the Assembly of Rural Women, progressive academics and non-governmental organizations, including WoMin and Earth Life. These organizations are calling for joint water management systems that guarantee the right to drinking water for all. These radicals therefore reject the idea of water privatization and control by multinational corporations whose primary aim is to generate profits. In her analysis Feminist Approach to Water Justice in Africa , Ndana Bofu-Tawamba demonstrates that water privatization is not only a highly lucrative business, but also calls into question the United Nations’ sixth Sustainable Development Goal, which requires states to provide people with access to safe, affordable drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene by 2030.
COVID-19 confirms women’s inequality in water management
According to a study conducted by WaterAid, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender-specific barriers to access to water, sanitation and hygiene, creating unique menstrual hygiene management challenges for women and girls on a daily basis. At the same time, the tasks involved in collecting water put women and girls at risk of sexual assault. This is why the issue of access to water and sanitation is, for many women, synonymous with physical and moral violence.
The Urgent Action Fund-Africa report also provides an overview of drinking water management and access during COVID-19. COVID-19 demonstrated the extent of violence against women due to access to water, sanitation and hygiene. Women do not have proper access to drinking water. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still ongoing, has weakened agricultural production, much of which is run by women. This has and will continue to have a negative impact on food security and nutrition. In addition, the lack of adequate water and sanitation facilities often leads women and girls to avoid any form of public and collective life. The lack of hygienic facilities in public institutions sometimes prevents them from going to work or school – particularly during menstruation. The lack of basic sanitary infrastructures is one of the main reasons why many girls drop out of school.
Women and Struggles for Water Justice highlights feminist and alternative approaches to water control and management, focusing on the needs of the most marginalized in society – African women in poor communities. The report underlines the urgency of women’s struggle for water, and highlights the fact that water is a cross-cutting issue that touches on food production, health, housing, sanitation and climate change. The report emphasizes the importance of strengthening social movements and connecting struggles at local, regional and international levels. It is clear that the privatization and control of water must be abandoned, and that drinking water must remain a public or common good, in order to ensure that women from all communities have access to safe, affordable drinking water, as stipulated in the MDGs 2030. In the absence of firm commitments from African decision-makers in this direction, it will be up to civil societies to mobilize to claim their right to affordable drinking water.
