Water, women and inequality: World Water Day event highlights urgent global WASH crisis

On Monday 23 October, the UNSW community recognised World Water Day by hearing from global experts about the complex and intricate links between water and gender.

Tara Bartnik and Nusrat Jahan from WaterAid Australia have expertise in water security, climate and international development. Their presentation at UNSW Sydney’s Colombo Theatre was titled “At the intersection of water, gender, health, and climate: Evidence, challenges and action”.

The theme of World Water Day 2026 was Water and Gender, and the WaterAid presentation acknowledged this by covering topics such as the scale of the WASH crisis and how women and girls are disproportionately impacted by lack of access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. Importantly, it was noted that while women and girls are often primarily responsible for household water collection and management, they are often excluded from decision making around water and sanitation at all levels.

To help address the many inequalities, WaterAid and other organisations are prioritising Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in their programming, which comprises a ‘twin-track’ approach of both mainstreaming and more targeted methods. This means that inclusive design and participation are embedded throughout all activities, alongside more specific and targeted approaches to address social norms, labour, leadership and violence that impact women’s experiences of WASH.

The climate crisis is also exacerbating existing inequalities experienced by women and girls through increased water scarcity, increased increase waterborne diseases and damage or destruction of toilets and water systems. It was revealed that in addition to these impacts, climate events also elevate the risk of gender-based violence.

In terms of health, women and girls experience disproportionate risks and access to services when WASH services are inadequate. Lack of safe water coupled with poor sanitation and hygiene contributes to waterborne diseases and maternal infections, and women also bear the burden of caring for sick family members, increasing physical and economic strain.

The WaterAid team drew particular attention to the impacts of insufficient clean water availability in hospitals and clinics. While this puts all vulnerable lives in danger, women and girls are most at risk. It was revealed that every two seconds, a woman in the world’s least developed countries gives birth in a healthcare facility without adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, and every year, more than a million women and newborns lose their lives to preventable infections linked to unsafe births.

Water Aid’s new ‘Time To Deliver’ campaign advocates for every health care facility to have clean, safe water, and for no woman to have to fear childbirth. Launched this year on World Water Day—22 March 2026—the campaign calls on world leaders to act now to ensure clean water, sanitation and hygiene in every healthcare facility. Anybody can help by signing and sharing the online petition.

The WaterAid presentation was a powerful reminder that water is not just a basic resource, but a fundamental human right deeply connected to gender equality, health and climate resilience. The presentation highlighted a UNSW-supported project in Timor-Leste, led by Permatil and WaterAid, that is focusing on rural water security and Nature-based Solutions.

UNSW Water Research Centre Director Fiona Johnson said “Our project in Timor-Leste is contributing towards UNSW’s focus on societal impact and Progress for All through our new UNSW strategy. World Water Day is a chance for us to reflect together on the remaining challenges around the world to secure clean water, decent toilets and hygiene facilities for everyone”.

By highlighting the lived realities of so many women and girls around the world, Tara and Nusrat underscored the urgent need for inclusive and sustainable solutions to the global WASH crisis, including systemic change.