Through our partner bank in Bangladesh, Doli financed a safe water solution. Now Doli, her husband, and their three children have access to safe water at home, where health and hope flow.
Thank you for making safe water and improved health possible for families around the world
Meet Doli
Doli used to walk to another village to collect water in vases at least twice a day. When factors like monsoons or temperatures prevented her long journey, Doli would get water from a nearby pond or set up drums to collect rainwater from her roof. That water caused her children many illnesses.
Thanks to your support, Doli took out a small loan for a household water solution. She shared, “I thought that if the [water] pump is set up, water would become easily available, and this would take care of the water issues we were facing. I also thought it was the best thing to do for my children.” This mother of three in Bangladesh is thankful for the health that flows from having safe water at home.
More than 1 million people die each year from lack of access to safe water and sanitation due to health impacts alone.
Globally, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people don’t have a safe toilet. Now more than ever, access to safe water is critical to the health of families around the world.
Latest impact numbers
Water is the way: A look at the research on empowering women through access to safe water
An article by Vedika Bhandarkar, President and Chief Operating Officer
The global water crisis and gender mobility are deeply connected. Through our work, we have identified five core factors at the intersection of this relationship:
- Health Impacts – Unreliable water sources contribute to waterborne diseases, particularly affecting women who often hold caregiver roles. Poor health resulting from water-related illnesses limits women’s ability to pursue economic opportunities or make other life choices.
- Safety and security – Women experience greater vulnerability to violence during journeys to find water or a safe place to go and face heightened risks of harassment and exploitation, impacting their privacy and safety and exacerbating gender disparities.
- Education disparities – Limited access to safe water can lead to girls missing school due to water-related illness or chores. Without the learning and socialization opportunities created at school, long-term professional opportunities and earning potential can be severely inhibited for girls.
- Time and income considerations – Women’s predominant responsibility for water collection negatively affects their time to earn income, pursue other interests, and make choices. Limited time and income affect their economic mobility and perpetuate gender inequities.
- Community engagement – The water crisis also impedes women’s ability to engage in leadership opportunities and contribute to the economy, interfering with their ability to participate in shaping the social fabric of their communities.
This article expands on the gendered impact of the global water crisis, the transformative role of safe water and sanitation, the financial barriers women face, and the empowering effects of financial inclusion.
Women are primarily responsible for household water collection and are solving the water crisis for their families.
With access to safe water at her home in Peru, Nelly's family can now experience improved health.
Access to safe water is critical to the health of families around the world
Your support helps improve the health of families living in poverty
Access to safe water at home improves health and helps families protect themselves from illness and disease. It means reduced child and maternal mortality rates. It means improved health, privacy, and safety for women and girls. It means reduced spread of disease. It means reduced physical injury from constant lifting and carrying heavy loads of water.
Through our work, we’ve seen how access to safe water and sanitation impacts the health of families we serve. As part of our monitoring and evaluation process, we regularly survey people who have taken out loans for water and sanitation solutions through our work. Survey data shows:
- 81% have observed improved health for their families now that they have safe water or sanitation at home.
- 66% have reported that household members become ill less often now that they have safe water or sanitation at home.
- 61% wash their hands more often now that they have safe water or sanitation at home.