Today is World Water Day! The theme this year is “The answer is in nature”, focusing on the importance of water and exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

Did you know…

Together with our local partners of the Women2030 Programme, we are carrying out surveys in a number or countries to amplify local men and women’s voice on their perception of  environment and gender. In Albania, 200 persons from rural, peri-urban and urban areas were interviewed on their perceived living conditions in terms of water. As you can see, the interviews showed a great gap between urban and rural areas.

Access to water and its links to gender equality

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 is at the core of the sustainable development and has interlinkages to almost all other goals. Safe water is a prerequisite for gender equality, when it comes to equitable participation in school, work, as well as in other institutions such as public places and hospitals. Access to water is critical to women’s empowerment. Better access to water and sanitation means improved health, as well as more time spent on education by women and girls.

Water solidarity project in Kyrgyzstan

An Oston, a village of 1,500 inhabitants has received access to safe and reliable drinking water inside their houses through our project we have together with our local partners KAWS. The project has lead to reduced burden of water, sanitation and health (WASH) related activities in the household for women. The reduce gap of the standard of living between the rural and urban has lead to more young people returning to the village,  a kindergarten has opened and a sewing workshop started in the village. Read more.

 

Rainwater harvesting tanks in Uganda

Construction of huge rainwater harvesting tanks made of plastered bamboo baskets that last over the dry season for one family. First the women earn money by bamboo weaving and second they do not need to carry water from the water source or buy jerry cans.(funded by Erbacher foundation). Read more.

 

Water and Sanitation Safety Planning (WSSP) in the Balkans

The introduction of Water and Sanitation Safety Plan (WSSP) approach encourages citizens/communities to promote local action for the improvement of water supply and sanitation systems, with the active participation of different important stakeholders in each country, such as students, youths, teachers, locals and the authorities. The WSSP approach was adapted to local rural communities in the Balkans in the WSSP Compendium: http://www.wecf.eu/english/publications/2017/Revised-Compendium.php

 

Breaking the taboo & push for policy change

Women and girls report about the deplorable WASH situation especially in schools and workplaces. For examples, they are not able to manage their menstruation in healthy conditions and dignity. In the Women2030 survey in FYR Macedonia, 72% of the girls in urban and 93% in rural areas are not able to wash and change in privacy in school during their menstrual period. We are constantly working with our local partners to push for our decision-makers to take better decisions on water and sanitation.

 

Sharing of experiences

161115-CrowdfundingENG from karine peyrard on Vimeo.

Kyrgyzstan, An Oston: video with Gulay and Anara

 

Call for action

The Balkan WASH network was newly founded by us, Journalists for Human Rights, and Women in Development Shkoder. The countries in the Balkans face similar problems in terms of (WASH) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and share the deplorable gap between cities and the neglected rural areas. The network serves as a platform for NGOs from the Balkan sharing the same objectives: (1) implementing SDG 6 and community-based monitoring, (2) advocacy for SDG 6 at local, national and regional level and (3) sharing know-how among the members and cooperation. Learn more here.