In this informative guide, the Women’s Environmental and Development Organization and Public Citizen study the impacts of privatization of water on women. The privatization of water resources by international financial and trade institutions, such as the World Bank, IMF, and WTO, is having damaging impacts on women and their livelihoods. By introducing a price on water and through policy packages such as the Structural Adjustment Programs, profit is placed before people. As access to water is compromised, women are paying the heavier price by trekking longer distances to fetch water, limiting their availability for household and incoming generating activities, which then forces them to accept lower-quality water, creating health and sanitation hazards. Women leaders and activists are, however, continuously organizing to fight this injustice through lobbying, participation in forums challenging privatization of water and using existing institutions, such the UN, to seek gender equality and water rights.
