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World Water Day, 22 March

World Water Day 2026 - Water and gender
Where water flows, equality glows

Water is fundamental for food production, health, livelihoods and ecosystems. However, access to water and the rights to manage it are not equal: women and girls, particularly in rural areas, face greater barriers in accessing, controlling and benefiting from water resources.

Addressing these inequalities is critical to achieving water and food security, and sustainable development.

Water and gender: women at the centre of solutions to the water crisis

The global water crisis affects everyone, but not equally. At the same time, women are central to the solutions. 

In many rural contexts, women and girls play a key role in agricultural production and water management, including water for irrigation, livestock, aquaculture and domestic use. However, they often have less control over water and land and are excluded from water governance and decision‑making processes, such as water user associations or local committees, because they are not formal landowners or are not recognized as heads of households.

These inequalities have clear social and economic consequences. In 2023, women earned on average 18.4 percent less than men in agricultural wage employment, reflecting persistent gaps in access to resources, services and opportunities. Climate change further exacerbates these disparities: when water becomes scarce, polluted or unreliable, women typically face longer water collection times, reduced agricultural productivity and greater losses in income.

Women must shape the future of water. Promoting gender equality in agricultural water management is not only a matter of rights. It is also an upscaling development opportunity to achieve water and food security for all.

When women have secure access to water and land, and when they can participate meaningfully in water governance, households and communities become more resilient. Improved access to irrigation, finance, services and knowledge enables women farmers to increase productivity, strengthen livelihoods and contribute to food security. Inclusive water governance also leads to more equitable and sustainable water management outcomes.

This message is particularly relevant in 2026, which has been declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognizing the vital role women play in agrifood systems worldwide. 

 

FAO’s World Water Day 2026 highlights

FAO takes concrete actions to advance gender equality in water and agriculture, including:

  • Advancing water tenure for gender equality: FAO is supporting a Global Dialogue on Water Tenure that recognizes women’s roles, needs and priorities in water management, while addressing their frequent exclusion from decision‑making. This process brings countries and stakeholders together to shape shared principles that promote equity and inclusion.
    • Expanding women’s access to irrigation: Evidence from irrigation projects shows that targeting women supports production gains, stronger livelihoods and progress towards gender equality. Read more.
    • Enhancing drought management through the integration of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) considerations into planning processes, recognizing the role of women as agents of change and acknowledging their key contribution to the development of effective drought management policies and plans. Read more.
    • FAO’s WaPOR gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) strategy ensures that remote‑sensing data and digital tools for agricultural water management are designed and used without reinforcing existing inequalities. The strategy provides practical guidance to make women’s roles visible, expand the focus from productivity to equity, promote two‑way dialogue with end users, and assess gender and social impacts over time. Read more.
    • Strengthening community‑led solutions: Through Dimitra Clubs, FAO supports self‑organized community groups that help women, men and young people identify challenges and mobilize solutions. In several countries, these groups have helped women secure land rights and invest in small‑scale irrigation.
    • Integrating gender into water monitoring and policy: FAO has supported the gender contextualization of SDG Target 6.4 on water‑use efficiency and water stress, contributing to more gender‑responsive, evidence‑based water policies.
    Learn more and take action

    World Water Day 2026 provides an opportunity to raise awareness, share knowledge and promote action on water and gender. UN-Water and its partners offer a wide range of public resources, including the World Water Day 2026 Activation Kit to help schools, organizations and communities inspire people to take action for a water-secure, gender-equal future.

    Discover all the resources