Gender Equality in Water - Press Conference

Mr. Bhanu Neupane, Process Coordinator for the UNESCO World Water Development Report, on the launch of the World Water Development Report. “The message of the report is very clear. As with climbing Mount Everest, the route to gender equality in water may be visible, but the real challenge is sustaining the exit to the summit,” Bhanu Neupane, UNESCO Representative, said as he briefed journalists on the launch of the UN World Water Development Report for 2026. Neupane said 1.8 billion people live in households without water on the premises. In those households, women and girls are responsible for collecting water in about 70 percent of cases, spending around 250 million hours every single day on the task. “These burdens begin very early,” he said. “Girls under the age of 15 are almost twice as likely as boys to face fetch water, and girls five to nine years old already spend significantly more time than boys on unpaid household work. This illustrates how gaps in water access translates directly into inequalities in time, opportunity and well-being.” The consequences extend beyond the household, Neupane said. “Time spent collecting water reduces opportunities for education, employment and participation in public life.” Water insecurity also carried health and safety implications, he added, “including physical strain, water collection injuries, and increased exposure to harassment or violence or even sextortion when accessing distant water or sanitation services.” Women make up only 17.7 percent of employees in water utilities globally, and only 27 percent of countries report high levels of women's participation in water decision-making. Yet when women do participate in water governance, “water services become more equitable, more effective and more sustainable,” he said. The report found disparities across all regions. In Asia and the Pacific, climate variability is intensifying floods and droughts, impacts that “frequently disproportionately affect women,” Neupane said. In Latin America and the Caribbean, social norms and institutional barriers persist. In the Arab region, expanded education and STEM training are helping, though stronger policy frameworks are still needed. Even in Europe, “socioeconomic and demographic factors can still reinforce inequalities in water governance and leadership roles,” he said. This year's report marks the first time a UN World Water Development Report has been issued in the Mayan language, in an effort to reach more communities across the globe.