Rethinking Gender Equality Through The Lens Of Economic Empowerment In Water

This report shares the success of the Sustainable Enterprise for Water and Health (SEWAH) program, which aims to supplement women’s traditional roles of carrying water on their heads by supporting women to own and operate local water stations. Women are becoming the leaders of change in their communities by providing safe water, WASH education, and promoting environmental sustainability. 

Under the SEWAH initiative, this program has scaled up across 30 cities and 12 states in India. The findings highlight women’s absence in the water sector as policymakers, implementing partners, and those owning and operating small water enterprises (SWEs). Additionally, it identifies research-enabled gaps towards developing solutions and positioning women across the SWE value chain to ensure each person earns income, creating a knowledge platform for resource sharing, standardized learning, and community-led WASH for better economic and health outcomes. This report builds upon Safe Water Network’s earlier pilots and replication.