Sand dams: empowering women and girls

The global water crisis affects everyone, but not equally – this is a key message of this year’s World Water Day campaign, which highlights the importance of the relationship between water and gender equality.

These words resonate strongly with us at Sand Dams Worldwide as they reflect what we typically see in the dryland regions we support – that the impact of water scarcity on women and girls is highly disproportionate.

Being predominantly responsible for water collection across the world, women and girls spend more than three times as many hours on this task than men and boys according to UN data. This responsibility is a great burden for women and girls. Making long journeys to fetch water and spending hours carrying heavy containers leaves them exhausted, with little time or energy for other activities. Girls spend less time in school and lose out on getting an education, whilst women have fewer opportunities to earn a living or develop their livelihoods.

Access to a safe and reliable water supply is also crucial to the health of women and girls. In addition to being themselves at risk of catching waterborne diseases from drinking dirty water, women are often relied upon to care for those affected by illnesses, adding to their stress and workload. Furthermore, lack of adequate water for sanitation and hygiene has a severe impact, in particular for adolescent girls, on menstrual health and dignity, which also affects school attendance and general wellbeing.

The result is the widening of existing gender inequalities, as women and girls’ daily lives become dominated by their relationship with water. This is only worsened by the growing threat that climate change poses to global water security. As those who bear the brunt of the global water crisis, women must shape the future of water.

It is essential that women and girls are at the forefront of efforts to address water challenges, as their engagement and leadership is vital to ensuring that their rights and needs are met. That’s why our projects are designed with women and girls at the very heart.

“Having water is an added advantage to women and girls, who no longer spend long hours walking to fetch water. We have more time for farming and income-generating activities, whilst girls can go to school and get a better education.”

Martha Kimanthi, Wendo wa Waani self-help group member, southeast Kenya.

It starts with a sand dam – a reinforced concrete wall built across a seasonal riverbed that can last upwards of 60 years and capture up to 40 million litres of water, replenishing with every rainy season. This water is stored safely within sand, protecting it from contamination and disease to provide a water supply that meets World Health Organisation standards for drinking. Watch how sand dams work here:

Sand dams provide a year-round source of water much closer to people’s homes, saving people (especially women and girls) hours of time each day that would otherwise be spent on long journeys. This reduces the burden of water collection on women and girls, allowing them to pursue their aspirations.

“Now, I don’t have to wake up as early or walk long distances to collect water, so I am less tired and less stressed. I have more time for school, studying, and even resting. I also feel safer and healthier. I can focus more on my future instead of worrying about where water will come from.”

Faith Kimanthi, daughter of Martha Kimanthi, southeast Kenya.

With a safe and reliable water source, the health of women and girls is greatly improved as they no longer have to rely on potentially contaminated water. Training in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is also provided to communities as an important element of sand dam projects, helping to strengthen the positive effect on health.

Perhaps most importantly, women’s participation and gender equality are core objectives of sand dam projects. Gender equality training sessions are delivered to all communities we support and women are strongly encouraged to play an active role in meetings and discussions. The opportunity to participate in projects provides women with the platform to influence decision-making and challenge traditional gender roles.

We’re proud to share that our research has shown a 44% increase in the number of women feeling empowered after engaging with sand dam projects, as well as an 85% increase in the number that feel confident.

The impact of sand dam projects on the lives of women and girls is demonstrated in the story of Martha Kimanthi from southeast Kenya (click here to read her full story). 

This is just one case that serves to drive home one of the key messages of World Water Day – where water flows, equality grows.

We’d like to ask for your support to enable more sand dam projects that will benefit women and girls across the world’s drylands. Here are some examples of what your donation could help towards:

• £25 could provide a dryland farmer with drought-tolerant seeds, to grow a reliable source of fresh food for their children 
  
  
• £50 could provide a roll of barbed wire to reinforce a sand dam, anchoring it to the bedrock 
  
  
• £100 could provide a community with a wheelbarrow and 10 bags of cement, to help them construct their sand dam

Your support is so important for us to be able to continue our work, therefore we would hugely appreciate any amount you could donate towards our appeal. By doing so, you are helping women and girls to transform their own lives and land with sand dams. Thank you so much.