Sakhile Ndlazi
PRETORIA: As more and more people migrate into cities from rural villages, the pressure for such cities to meet the demand for water is ever-increasing.
South Africa’s water crisis has already begun, with “water shedding” taking place in parts of KwaZulu-Natal as a result of drought and misuse.
But what’s equally alarming, according to the Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, is the lack of women in the water-related sector who are capable of remedying the water crisis in the country.
The Department of Water and Sanitation yesterday hosted a national women in water consultative conference at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), aimed at addressing issues of empowering women in the management of scarce water resources through their involvement and participation.
This consultative conference took place against the backdrop of the recently held “World Water Week” in Sweden, which reaffirmed the position that access to water plays a strategic role in the socio-economic transformation of any society.
Around the world, women and girls expend a total of over 200 million hours daily collecting and hauling water. In sub-Saharan Africa, 71 percent of the water fetched and gathered for household use falls under the responsibility of female family members.
“Water is perceived to be a women’s business, but the business of water lacks women,” said Mokonyane.
At an institutional level, the number of women in leadership is minuscule compared to the number of men.
At the community level, those doing the hard work to transport, re-route, or clean water resources are usually women, while management and distribution decision-making is often within the male sphere of influence.
More than 100 women from the water and sanitation, engineering, construction, and business sectors also used the conference as a platform to share information regarding their role in contributing to the water sector.
“There are obvious policy gaps that still make it difficult or unappealing for qualified women to work in the water sector, and finding appropriate policy instruments and incentives (such as higher pay, extended and maternity leave) to implement in specific contexts is both the key and the challenge,” said Mokonyane.
Along with the understanding of the need to support and develop women businesses, the department announced that it will launch a three-year national “women in water” programme that comprises of a mentorship programme, a women in water business incubator and thirdly a women in water forum.
The scope of the programme covers all women-owned businesses that are competent and excellent in the provision of services to the department.
The objectives of the programme are to identify and address the key gaps between the current scenario and expected future scenario for the participation of women-owned businesses in the water sector and also develop women-owned businesses.
The programme will target women in science and engineering, innovation, construction and local community initiatives.
Precious Nzimande, who operates a water community cleansing programme in Hammanskraal, welcomed the minister’s water programme, calling it both progressive and pro women.
“The department has made a provision that will allow women to participate in water-related initiatives, drawing on women’s knowledge and increasing women’s involvement as women managers and decision-makers.”