International Women's Day: When water becomes scarce, women and girls suffer first

Women around the world still suffer from structural disadvantages, including access to clean water and sanitation. The Ruhrverband points this out on the occasion of International Women's Day on 8 March. In many regions of the world, women and girls are responsible for supplying water to their families. On the often long journeys to the nearest water source, they run the risk of becoming victims of sexual violence and many girls have to drop out of school because of the time involved. The lack of hygienic conditions in schools and workplaces also leads to poorer educational and employment opportunities for women and girls, as well as to particular health and safety risks. Studies and reports by numerous organisations (Welthungerhilfe, INKOTA-netzwerk e. V. and others) show that women are disproportionately affected by violations of the human right to water.

In order to secure the right to water for women and girls in particular in other parts of the world, the Ruhrverband is involved in the NEWZA programme (Nexus Energy and Water Programme for Zambia), which is funded by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). In an operator partnership with the Zambian Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Ltd (EWSC), Ruhrverband is working to improve water supply and wastewater disposal in eastern Zambia.

Ruhrverband and EWSC are jointly developing strategies that will enable EWSC to improve its services of general interest for the local population. In a country where girls and women continue to be severely disadvantaged, the inadequate supply of clean drinking water and precarious sanitary conditions hit them particularly hard. The Ruhrverband would like to make a contribution to improving the situation on the ground.

Although the procurement of the vital resource of water is traditionally a matter for women, they have less say and control over how water is used. According to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), women make up only around 17 per cent of the paid workforce in the water sector worldwide, and they are significantly underrepresented in the management and decision-making processes of utility companies or state institutions.

This was also the case in Germany for a long time, as the water industry in Germany is traditionally a male domain. The Ruhrverband is therefore doing a lot to promote equal opportunities in its own company and has achieved visible successes over the last ten years: The proportion of women in management positions almost doubled between 2014 and 2024 and now stands at 33 per cent. The proportion of women among trainees is now also one third - a pleasing development that proves that targeted measures to attract young women are having an impact.

The Ruhrverband has adapted its job advertisements and introduced more flexible working time models in order to improve the work-life balance. This has contributed to the fact that every second new recruit is now a woman. The proportion of women in part-time employment has fallen slightly over the past ten years, but is still over 82 per cent. To change this, the Ruhrverband is focusing on raising awareness among managers and providing targeted advice on parental leave and part-time models in order to encourage more men to take on a fairer distribution of care work.

The Ruhrverband is taking International Women's Day as an opportunity to draw attention to the global importance of water and sanitation for gender equality. At the same time, it is emphasising its own commitment to more equal opportunities within the company. "Modern water management needs diversity. The positive development of the past ten years shows that we are on the right track. But we will continue to break down barriers and promote women in our industry," says Carolin-Beate Fieback, Head of Human Resources, Administration and Social Affairs at Ruhrverband, who has herself been involved in women's work at Ruhrverband for over 16 years.