World Water Day: Coalition Opposes Privatisation, Warns of Impact on Women

Sunday Ehigiator

The Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), has renewed its call for African governments to reject water privatisation, warning that corporate control of water systems threatens human rights and disproportionately impacts women and girls.

Addressing newsmen yesterday during a press conference organised in commemoration of the World Water Day, themed ‘Water and Gender’, held at the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa’s (CAPPA) office in Lagos, also a member of the coalition, the Program Officer of Water Campaign, CAPPA, Holiness Segun-Olufemi noted that water is a life-sustaining public good that must remain under democratic and public control.

She warned that increasing reliance on private sector solutions risks deepening inequality across the continent.

“All forms of water privatisation and corporate control must be rejected, as they are fundamentally at odds with water and gender justice in Africa.

“This year’s theme, draws attention to the unequal burden faced by women and girls in accessing safe water. This burden is worsened when governments hand over water systems to profit-driven entities,” she said.

Speaking on the price paid by the female gender for water, Fatou Diouf of the Senegalese Water Justice Network said “across Africa, women and girls pay the highest price when governments relinquish public water systems to private interests, privatisation turns a basic human right into a profit-making commodity and deepens existing inequalities.

“The water crisis is not gender-neutral; it disproportionately burdens women and girls. Every day, millions of hours are lost fetching water time stolen from education, livelihoods, and safety.”

In her remarks, the Assistant  Director  of CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh, also criticised the growing promotion of public-private partnerships, describing them as ineffective and harmful.

“Governments must invest in public services, not incentives for private profiteers. Water is a human right, not a commodity to be controlled by corporations,” she said.

The coalition highlighted the scale of the crisis, noting that billions of people worldwide still lack access to safe water.

Citing insights from UNICEF, the coalition emphasised that the long journeys many girls take to fetch water reduce opportunities for schooling and personal development.

OWORAC also expressed concern over policy developments in Zimbabwe, where authorities are reportedly considering scrapping the Zimbabwe Gender Commission while pursuing water privatisation plans.

It warned that weakening institutions that advocate for women’s rights could further exclude them from critical decisions.

“Dismantling institutions that defend women’s rights, while pursuing privatisation, is a dangerous step backward,” the coalition added.

The coalition therefore urged African leaders to channel public funds into strengthening public water systems, ensure transparency in decision-making, and prioritise community participation.