Shared water to liberate African women
Department of Water and Sanitation Minister Ms Nomvula Mokonyane believes that collaboration between African countries on challenges related to water supply will not only cause a huge improvement in the cause for even distribution of water across African communities, but will also relieve women and girl children from the burden of lack of water supply.
The Minister shared this with the community of Ga-Khibane in Botswana as she was hosted by Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources to jointly commission the Middlepits Cross Border Water Supply Project.
Mokonyane said she believed that one of the main reasons there is slow development of women and girl children in Africa is the issue of water scarcity. “As is widely known, women are the main custodians of water and the responsibility to provide water rests mainly on women”.
She said that because water is such a scarce yet vital resource in Africa, women spend most of their time travelling long distances to fetch water for their families, time that could used for personal empowerment.
“Projects such as the Middlepits Cross Border Water Supply Project will put a stop to this; it will ensure that women in not only one country but in all corners of the continent do not endure such sufferings anymore”.
Minister Mokonyane shared her vision to utilise water accessibility as a tool to free women from oppression during the 7th World Water Forum held recently in Daegu, South Korea. She emphasized that African countries need to include women in the decision making process on issues relating to both water and sanitation. “Africans need to ensure the inclusion of women in decision-making on water and sanitation services; we have to bring to life the principle of nothing for them without them; this in order to ensure that women are not excluded in the search for appropriate water and sanitation solutions for sustainability”.
For more information contact:
Sputnik Ratau, DWS Director, Media Liaison
Cell: 0828742942
