Training women in water management remains critical for community development, an official from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has said.
Muchaneta Munamati, UNESCO national programme specialist, made the remarks during the Zimbabwe Water Conference held in Harare this week.
“At the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, we believe that where water flows, equality grows. We are moving beyond advocacy into transformative action,” said Munamati.
She said the organisation has been empowering communities in Binga and Buhera districts through climate-resilient water projects.
“In these drought-prone areas, UNESCO ROSA is installing solar-powered boreholes and high-efficiency piping systems. By bringing water directly to households, we are doing more than just providing a resource; we are restoring time and agency to women and girls,” she said.
“This infrastructure is designed for climate resilience, ensuring these communities remain secure even as rainfall becomes more unpredictable.”
Munamati added that training local women to monitor water levels and manage disaster alerts ensures that those most vulnerable are also the most prepared.
“When women have an equal voice in these technical decisions, water services become more inclusive and effective,” she said.
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Currently, women make up only one-fifth of the global water workforce.
“We are working to change that narrative here in Southern Africa,” she added.
The 2026 United Nations World Water Development Report notes that achieving global water and sanitation goals (SDG 6) is impossible without addressing gender inequalities.
Women and girls disproportionately bear the burden of inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and remain underrepresented in high-level water governance.
The report highlights that gender disparities — often linked to discriminatory land and water rights — exacerbate poverty and climate vulnerability.
It calls for gender-transformative approaches, including gender-responsive budgeting, the use of sex-disaggregated data and increased women’s leadership to ensure equitable resource distribution and sustainable water management.
The Zimbabwe Water Conference was hosted by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development under the theme: “Sustaining Economies, Advancing Equality, and Protecting the Future through Forests, Water and Weather.”
