Women + Water WaterAid Fact Sheet

Access to safe water and sanitation is essential for community health and well-being. In India, 163 million people lack access to improved water sources and 210 million lack access to improved sanitation. Over the next five years, this number is expected to increase as India faces a growing water and sanitation crisis. The Indian apparel industry–as one of the most intensive users of water–is a key player in ensuring sustainable access and stewardship of this precious resource.

Led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Gap Inc., a global apparel retailer sourcing products from 800 facilities in 30 countries, the Women + Water Alliance (W+W Alliance) is a public-private partnership working to improve the health and economic well-being of women and communities touched by the apparel value chain through the provision of sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

The Alliance will create large-scale change in how water is managed by leveraging expertise, resources and innovative approaches from a consortium of partners from civil society, the private sector and government. WaterAid joins CARE, Water.org, the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and the Institute for Development Impact (I4DI), to unlock the potential of women in communities touched by the global apparel industry.