International Women's Day- 100 years down the road: Access to safe water and sanitation still a dream to many Ugandan women

March 8, 2011 is the centennial celebration of the International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate the great strides achieved in advancing women’s rights, at the same time offering a platform to advocate for the tremendous work [including easy access to water and sanitation] that remains to achieve full emancipation of women.

Many women in Uganda as the case elsewhere in a number of developing countries, are a slave to water. They wake up every day in the wee hours; walk long and often dangerous distances in order to collect water.

In urban areas women have no choice but to collect water from polluted sources or pay prices to buy it from vendors.

This limited access impacts severely upon health, education and income. Ailments and lack of sanitation facilities in schools means girls during menstrual periods are not able to go to schools and lode their education.

Political opportunity

International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to push for water and sanitation from the women’s rights perspective, demanding governments to end the water and sanitation crisis.

WaterAid in Uganda is urging the government to recognition the right to water and sanitation (as a fundamental women’s human right), which should be prioritised alongside health and education. The government should also commit enough resources in order to end the water and sanitation crisis.