FAO notes, Water is fundamental for food production, health, livelihoods and ecosystems. However, access to water and the rights to manage it are not equal: women and girls, particularly in rural areas, face greater barriers in accessing, controlling and benefiting from water resources.
Addressing these inequalities is critical to achieving water and food security, and sustainable development.
Water and gender: women at the centre of solutions to the water crisis
The global water crisis affects everyone, but not equally. At the same time, women are central to the solutions.
In many rural contexts, women and girls play a key role in agricultural production and water management, including water for irrigation, livestock, aquaculture and domestic use. However, they often have less control over water and land and are excluded from water governance and decision‑making processes, such as water user associations or local committees, because they are not formal landowners or are not recognized as heads of households.
These inequalities have clear social and economic consequences. In 2023, women earned on average 18.4 percent less than men in agricultural wage employment, reflecting persistent gaps in access to resources, services and opportunities. Climate change further exacerbates these disparities: when water becomes scarce, polluted or unreliable, women typically face longer water collection times, reduced agricultural productivity and greater losses in income.
Women must shape the future of water. Promoting gender equality in agricultural water management is not only a matter of rights. It is also an upscaling development opportunity to achieve water and food security for all.
When women have secure access to water and land, and when they can participate meaningfully in water governance, households and communities become more resilient. Improved access to irrigation, finance, services and knowledge enables women farmers to increase productivity, strengthen livelihoods and contribute to food security. Inclusive water governance also leads to more equitable and sustainable water management outcomes.
This message is particularly relevant in 2026, which has been declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognizing the vital role women play in agrifood systems worldwide.
UN notes, Globally, more than 1 billion women – more than a quarter of all women (27.1%) – lack access to safely managed drinking water services. (UN Women/UNDESA, 2023)
1.8 billion people still do not have drinking water on-premises, and in two out of three households, women are primarily responsible for water collection. (WHO/UNICEF, 2023)
In 53 countries with available data, women and girls spend 250 million hours per day on water collection – over three times more than men and boys. (UN Women/UNDESA, 2024)
Globally, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under five every day. (WHO, 2023)
March 23, 2026 at 15:19