Burkina Faso: Water Security in Africa is Gender Dependent

Apr 16, 2024 | Julie Truelove, Dorice Agol, Katharine Vincent, Djibril Barry, Kate Gannon, and Will Ingram
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A person’s water security is affected by their gender, as is their likelihood to hold decision making positions about this vital resource. To increase water security in the face of a changing climate this must change.

The demand for water is increasing and it is coming from competing needs ranging from domestic, industrial, and agricultural to hydropower and industry. The allocation of our limited water supply and how it is used is driven by socioeconomic and political factors. These include gender norms that often dictate how water resources are used, by whom, and where.Climate change is exacerbating the challenges of water insecurity and longstanding inequalities. How people experience this depends on who they are, their location and what power they may or may not hold to make decisions on water use and its affordability.