Women’s water burden rose as COVID lockdowns hit

ABSTRACT

Speed read Rising demand for water collection in poor countries added to womens’ burden Water, sanitation lacking in health, quarantine facilities - survey School closures also limited access to these basic services for girls Demand for household water increased by as much as a third during pandemic lockdowns, forcing girls and women to spend more time searching for water for families without access to running water, analysis shows. COVID-19-related restrictions highlighted inequalities in access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the Pacific Island countries, which have some of the world’s lowest rates of access to drinking water and sanitation services. “Women’s water burdens have always been heavy and anecdotal evidence indicates that they remain that way in Pacific Island countries,” says Vivian Castro-Wooldridge, senior urban development specialist at the Asian Development Bank’s Pacific department.