Water Women of Africa

During the time period I spent writing this blog, 3600 minutes have been spent by one women alone in Sub-Saharan Africa collecting water. This equates to 2.5 full days. If multiplied by the approximately 16.9 million women and young girls all over the sub-continent, the figure reaches 507 million minutes spent in water collection. I can't help but wonder how substantial of an effect this would have had on my productivity if I were to do the same, let alone imagine how much every women or girl could have achieved in that same amount of precious time- whether it be in education or formal employment.  In this blog series I covered a range of issues women disproportionately face as a result of inadequate water access, from prolonged water collection duties, to shortages in community engagement and difficulties in maintaining menstrual health. In doing so, I explored these cases under the lens of different nations such as Tanzania, Cameroon and Ghana. Of the topics covered, however, the...

As we currently live amidst the global Coronavirus pandemic, the need for safety and hygiene is immensely vital to control the spread of the disease. We have continuously heard the words uttered: 'wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds'. But what do you do if you have inadequate access to clean running water and sanitation facilities to enable you to maintain a virus-safe environment? This, unfortunately, has been the harsh reality for many African nations as COVID-19 hit them with unprecedented challenges surrounding water. However, the outbreak has especially affected women. As almost 80% of women in the African continent play a major role in water provision for many rural households, the impacts of the virus have deepened their burden of collecting water whilst adversely putting them at risk of infection. A report by UNWomen offers insights into the added impacts of the virus on water facilities and women, as well as potential interventions go...

Before I continue this second part of the Worth Bleeding For series, I'm guessing you're wondering, where does this title come from? On May 28th every year, the world commemorates a Menstrual Hygiene Day to call for an end to the stigma around menstruation in societies and cultures all over the globe.  But as many nations come together to raise awareness of normalising conversations, some individual campaigns have taken more drastic approaches to help overcome the nightmares of period poverty, urging for the distribution of free menstrual products to revive school absences. The  #worthbleedingfor campaign in South Africa, which kicked off in Johannesburg aims to make pads either affordable or completely free for women, as they believe access to sanitary products and adequate sanitation is a basic right as opposed to a luxury. A summary of the campaign is outlined below:                               ...