What is Water for Women?

Water for Women supported improved health, gender equality and well-being in Asian and Pacific communities through climate-resilient and socially inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects and research. 

Water for Women was the Australian Government’s flagship WASH international development program, delivered in 16 Asia Pacific countries with an AUD159.9 million investment over seven years from 2018 to 2024.

Water for Women partnered with civil society organisations to deliver 20 WASH projects across South Asia, South East Asia, and the Pacific. Fifteen of these projects pivoted for the last two years of the Fund to focus on identifying and responding to climate risks to strengthen community climate resilience through WASH. Five projects were completed in 2022. Water for Women supported more than 4.4 million people, including the most marginalised within these communities. 

Research was an important element of Water for Women. Water for Women partnered with research organisations to undertake a total of 20 research projects over the course of the Fund, addressing knowledge and evidence gaps for inclusive WASH service provision and strengthened climate resilience. Water for Women aimed to raise the bar for gender and socially inclusive research, analysis, design, and program delivery in WASH, and in doing so, to inform practice globally.

Fourteen Innovation and Impact grants provided a targeted opportunity for partners to further contribute to Fund outcomes.

Australia’s International Development Policy reiterates the Australian Government’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through regional partnerships that support locally led climate solutions and address the barriers holding back progress. Embedding the perspectives of First Nations Australians and advancing gender equality and disability equity are core policy priorities that Water for Women supported through research and civil society partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

Water for Women directly supported the advancement of four key SDGs in the Indo-Pacific for good health and well-being, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and reduced inequalities. As a cross-cutting goal, SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation for all, contributes to progress on all other SDGs.

Gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) were central to Water for Women. Actively involving all people within communities (women, men, marginalised groups, people with disabilities) ensures more equitable and inclusive processes, which lead to more effective and sustainable WASH outcomes.  

 

 

 

 

Water for Women aimed to improve the health, gender equality and well-being of Asian and Pacific communities through climate-resilient, inclusive and sustainable WASH.


Contribution to this aim fell into four key end-of-program outcomes: 

  1. Strengthened national and subnational WASH sector systems with greater emphasis on climate resilience, gender equality, disability and social inclusion, safely managed WASH and water security.

  2. Increased equitable, universal access to and use of climate-resilient, sustainable WASH services, particularly for marginalised communities and community members.

  3. Strengthened climate resilience, gender equality, disability and social inclusion in households, communities and institutions.

  4. Strengthened use of new evidence, innovation and practice in climate-resilient, sustainable, gender-sensitive and inclusive WASH by other CSOs, national and international WASH sector actors.

 

 

View our WASH projects      View our research projects

 

 

 

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