Theme: “Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows”

On the occasion of World Water Day 2026, African Union Commission’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (AUC-WGYD) & UN Women join forces to call for urgent, gender-responsive action in water governance. This partnership underscores the African Union’s 2026 Theme of the Year: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

The Imperative for Change

Across Africa, water remains a deeply gendered issue. Women and girls are the primary managers of household water, yet their contributions remain largely undervalued. Inadequate access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) does not only impact health; it is a structural barrier to the economic and financial inclusion of women.

“When WASH systems fail, women and girls pay the highest price, in lost education, lost income, and personal insecurity. We must ensure no girl loses a school year to a lack of sanitation, and no woman loses her safety on a journey for water.”

— Ms. Prudence Ngwenya, Director of Women, Gender and Youth, AUC

“Safe and equitable access to water is a prerequisite for gender equality. Without safe water and sanitation, girls miss school, women lose mobility, and equality is denied. Adequate WASH services are not just infrastructure, they are the foundation of dignity, health, and opportunity.”

— Ms. Doris Mpoumou, UN Women Special Representative to the African Union

Strategic Alignment with Agenda 2063

The African Union Commission, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) has highlighted that water security is a catalyst for regional stability and climate resilience. AUC-WGYD & UN Women emphasize that these goals are unreachable without placing women at the centre of the "Blue Economy."

As noted by the ARBE leadership, H.E Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, the path to a water-secure future is inseparable from the pursuit of gender equality. Where water is accessible and managed equitably, we see a direct correlation with the reduction of unpaid care work, allowing women’s time to fuel innovation and leadership instead of survival.

A Unified Call to Heart and Action

AUC-WGYD and UN Women call on Member States, private sector partners, and civil society to:

1. Scale Gender-Responsive Infrastructure: Invest in climate-resilient water systems that specifically reduce the domestic burden on rural women.
2. Ensure Safety and Dignity: Integrate SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) protection into all water and sanitation policies.
3. Promote Leadership: Guarantee women’s full and equal participation in water governance at all levels, from community management to continental policy-making.
4. Boost STEM Participation: Expand access for girls to technical education in water and climate-related sectors to shape the digital and ecological future of the continent.

Water is the lifeblood of Africa’s development. In the spirit of the 2026 Year of Water Sustainability, let us commit to a future where opportunity flows as freely as clean water. When we uplift women through equitable water access, we uplift entire nations.

“Where water flows, equality grows. And where equality grows, Africa’s future becomes brighter, more prosperous, and more just.”

#WorldwaterDay #Agenda2063 #SD6

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Mrs. Wynne Musabayana | Head Communication Division, Information, Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: MusabayanaW@AfricanUnion.org

Ms. Adele Onguene Atangana | Communications Associate, Women, Gender and Youth Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail: AtanganaA@AfricanUnion.org