I have been contacted by many of my constituents about the charity WaterAid, urging me to attend their drop-in sessions and learn more about their work.
First and foremost, I can assure my constituents that the UK Government is conscious that safe water and adequate sanitation are basic human needs. I also want to emphasise that the Government and I are very conscious of the regrettable and tragic reality that for so many on our planet these needs remain unmet, particularly in developing and conflict-affected states.
Around the world, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) access. One of the most direct impacts is the burden of collecting water, which women and girls spend 200 million hours doing each day globally. These journeys can also place them at increased risk of gender-based violence, as does a lack of private and secure sanitation.
However, I hope to reassure you that the UK Government is making women and girls issues a central priority in its approach to international development. Indeed, gender considerations have been incorporated into the design of the UK’s WASH programmes. Additionally, the FCDO’s Ending Preventable Deaths Action Paper sets out how it will address the barriers to protecting the lives of mothers, babies and children – in which improving WASH worldwide plays a central role.
