Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF Director of WASH, states “When children lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, their health, education, and futures are put at risk. These inequalities are especially stark for girls, who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation. At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach—reminding us that we must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most.”
This is what we are doing, acting faster, more boldly, and working to expand our reach and impact. We know we are only one part of the larger solution, but that is a part that we hold dearly, reaching every community that we can as the opportunity presents with the reality of safe water and sanitation, not just the promise.
Hauling water disproportionately affects women and girls as:
- They are often culturally responsible for their family’s water needs.
- It can cause long-term muscular and skeletal damage from walking long distances with heavy loads.
- It exposes them to risks like snake bites, disease, and human violence like assault and rape—especially when walking alone or after dark.
A lack of Menstrual Hygiene products forces women and girls to:
- Stay home—missing out on school or work, further limiting their opportunities.
- Use unsanitary materials to absorb their menstrual blood such as leaves or feathers, causing infection and disease.
- Turn to the desperate practice of ‘sex for pads’—the exchange of transactional sex for money to buy supplies. This often leads to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
World W. 1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water – WHO, UNICEF. Who.int. Published August 26, 2025. https://www.who.int/news/item/26-08-2025-1-in-4-people-globally-still-lack-access-to-safe-drinking-water—who–unicef
