Water Women of Africa

Where to begin? A question I repeatedly asked myself before starting this first blog post. How must I introduce the theme of water and gender in Africa, and shed light on the rather complex issues of water access, sanitation, hygiene, equality, education and community executive structures? Before delving into the academic studies and published reports, I want to first use this introduction to highlight, in plain terms, the several dimensions of the topic, through analysing segments of a short children's book: The Water Princess , based on the childhood of a now model and activist, Georgie Badiel. This title may invite the imagination of perhaps a glistening mermaid in a sphere of fantasy, however, it works to cleverly allude a contrast with the difficulties in the life of a young female around water and sanitation in her village in Burkina Faso.  What I found fascinating about this book were the powerful messages conveyed in the short sentences that explained the nature and reality...