Women Water and Leadership 2017-2019

Safe, accessible water is crucial to preserving life. Water fuels our bodies, cleans our homes and clothes, drives industry, generates energy and irrigates the crops which feed the popu­lation. Growth in the world’s population and indus­trialisation, together with climate change and demographic shifts, all lead to an increased demand for water. Annually, four billion people experience severe water scarcity . Additionally, 663 mil­lion people lack ready access to improved sources of drinking water (World Water Development Report 2016). Women and girls are disproportionately affected – instead of earning an income or attending school, they are forced to be the primary water carriers for their families.

You can download the Women, Water and Leadership report HERE.

It is increasingly accepted that women must play an important role in water management and their position is vital in achieving equitable access to water for all, and for all uses. Despite positive steps taken in past decades, the potential contributions of women in water development remain largely untapped, inhibit­ing women’s economic empowerment.

Soroptimists are invited to support Women, Water & Leadership, once again joining with the SI membership around the world for a common goal. Clubs or members can make a donation through their own Federation or you might hold a fundraiser, and use social media and websites to create awareness.

At least five projects will be supported on five continents that educate, empower and enable women and girls to lead in water, embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the targets set out in SDG 6: Water and sanitation, SDG 4: Education, and SDG 5: Gender Equality. The President’s Appeal is committed to promoting the inclusion of women in water resource governance as experts and leaders during all phases of the projects. Women will be equally involved in decision-making throughout the entire project cycle – from education and capacity building, through to design, implementation and monitoring.

The President’s Appeal seeks to reach the goal of raising £350,000 over two years, and to have improved, sustainable, accessible and affordable water products and services on five continents.

WeWash, is the second sustainable project now underway and began in early May. WeWash (Women Empowerment through Water, Sanitation, and Health), is reshaping the lives of unemployed and low-income women and girls in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. Soroptimist donations to the Appeal are funding a programme that will increase access to safe water and sanitation, whilst supporting the provision of nutritious food for the women and girls. Through education, coaching programmes and leadership training, WeWash will support the equitable involvement of women in decision-making,  increasing employability for 100 women, and equipping a minimum of 30 women with the skills to run small-scale businesses in the alternative sanitation sector.

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SI President Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, recently visited a rural village in Sarawak, Malaysia. This community is living with no clean water for drinking or cooking, no electricity, no sanitation and no medical clinic.

Threatened by consistent logging, which is harming the rich biodiversity of the area and polluting vital sources of drinking water, the rural community is in need of support. A project proposal has now been accepted and steps are being taken to make it a reality.

The President’s Appeal will educate, empower and enable women and girls, improve access to water and increase food security, whilst contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7, on the challenges of poverty, food security, access to education, gender equality, access to water and environment worldwide.

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A major earthquake and tsunami hit the island of Sulawesi in September 2018, devastating the regional capital Palu and surrounding areas. Palu, home to 350,000, was flattened by the tsunami and the city and its surrounding areas now face a public health crisis as access to water and clean sanitation is limited. More than 74,000 people were displaced and many lost their lives. SI President Mariet Verhoef-Cohen and SISWP Federation President Anusha Santhirasthipam made an official visit to Indonesia from 3 – 8 February 2019, to witness first-hand the conditions in both the Palu and Lombok area, and to make plans for the 4th Project from the Women, Water & Leadership Appeal.

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