Water and a toilet for all
Clean drinking water and a safe toilet nearby. Simavi believes this is a human right for everybody. Now, women and girls spend 200 million hours every day fetching drinking water. Precious time they cannot spend on other things.
Due to the lack of safe toilets, girls sometimes miss school during their periods. This must end. So girls have an equal chance to a good education and women have time to earn their own income.
Fact:
In 8 out of 10 households, women and girls are responsible for fetching water
Almost half of the world population does not have access to a safe and private toilet
2.3 billion people lack basic hygiene, such as water and soap in their home
What is Simavi doing for better access to water and sanitation?
- Knowledge and awareness about the right to water and the importance of safe drinking water and good sanitation are essential. We encourage the sharing of knowledge, for example by setting up parent groups. So that women can discuss this.
- Access to safe drinking water and female-friendly toilets requires good laws and inclusive policies. Simavi supports women and girls and partner organisations to pressure governments about this.
- When facilities such as clean drinking water and toilets are insufficient, Simavi supports activities of local partners that are aimed at realising these services and facilities.
- We do not only pay attention to the placement of facilities, but also to maintenance, education, legislation and sustainability, because we believe in lasting change. We have developed a specific approach for this.
- Simavi's projects in the field of water, toilets and hygiene meet the specific needs of women. We involve them in every part of decision-making and activities.
- Taboos around menstruation complicate the lives of women and girls. We are working on making taboos open to discussion. We also try to work with community leaders and other influential people to remove barriers.
Programmes
WASH SDG
The goal of the WASH SDG programme was to sustainably improve access to, and use of, safe drinking water for at least 450,000 people, sanitation for at least 2 million people and improve the hygiene behaviours of 1.6 million people.
Water Justice Fund - grassroot grants to the water crisis
Millions of women and girls are hit hard by the water and sanitation problems caused by climate change. The Water Justice Fund supports local women groups in Kenya, Nepal and Bangladesh to realise locally-led and women-owned solutions to water and climate challenges.
Sarwacha
Simavi and Dopper are working with local partners, ENPHO and Biruwa, to ensure a sustainable water supply for Changunarayan. Families in the fast-growing municipality Changunarayan in Nepal lack safe drinking water.
WASH & Learn
Improve water, sanitation and hygiene facilities for girls in schools and the surrounding communities by constructing bathrooms and raising awareness.
WASH Learn & Share
More than half of all schools in Uganda lack adequate toilet and water facilities. For girls in particular, this means they regularly miss school. With the WASH, Learn & Share project, we are working to improve health, education and well-being for all.