Every March 22, World Water Day is celebrated, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of this essential resource and promoting measures for its conservation. This year, the event focuses on gender equality under the slogan “Where water flows, equality grows“. The campaign underscores the deep interconnectedness between universal access to water resources and gender equity.
The global water crisis affects the entire population, although in a profoundly unequal way. According to data from the United Nations (UN), 2,100 million people lack access to safe drinking water services globally. In territories without infrastructure close to home, social gaps are accentuated and it is women and girls who suffer the worst consequences. The figures reveal that 1,800 million people continue without direct supply in their homes. In two out of three of these households, the female population assumes the main responsibility for supply. This physical and mental burden forces them to sacrifice their education, professional development, and public involvement. They assume the management of the resource and the care of sick relatives due to the consumption of unsafe water, a reality that causes the death of some 1,000 children under five years of age every day.
Despite this impact, women are systematically excluded from decision-making processes. Globally, according to World Bank records, the female workforce barely accounts for a fifth of employment in the water sector and about 14% of countries lack institutional mechanisms to ensure equal representation in water-related decisions.
To address this gap, the UN has launched the World Water Development Report 2026. Under the title ” Water for everyone. Equal rights and opportunities “, the text provides a comprehensive diagnosis and defines practical solutions aimed at promoting equity. The publication emphasizes that access to a healthy and affordable supply constitutes an inalienable human right, a pillar for gender equality and a prerequisite for consolidating resilient governance. Ensuring that women have the same level of voice and leadership is vital to designing more inclusive, sustainable and effective infrastructure in the long term.
THE WATER SCENARIO IN SPAIN
In the national territory, the availability and quality of water resources represent critical challenges for public health and environmental management. Added to this situation is the problem of pollution, driven by the presence of nitrates. An analysis by DATADISTA reveals that at least 257,000 people in 332 Spanish municipalities were unable to consume tap water in 2024 due to nitrate contamination.
At the same time, the health of the aquatic environment continues to be under extreme pressure. Data from the Office of Science and Technology of the Congress of Deputies indicate that only 55% of surface water bodies have a good overall status. Added to this panorama are climate projections, which point to a moderate decrease in rainfall and a general increase in temperatures over the coming decades. According to the scenarios foreseen for Spain, scientific models estimate significant reductions in groundwater resources. In fact, recharging may experience average drops of up to 11% by 2045, with losses of more than 20% in more than a tenth of the country.
Facing this challenge and guaranteeing water availability is a goal directly linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. On this World Water Day, international institutions are calling for urgent investments in transparent management models and policy frameworks capable of empowering the female population. When strategies incorporate women as engineers, farmers, scientists or community leaders, society as a whole thrives and water resources become a true driving force for common well-being.
