Addis Ababa, 11 February 2026 (ECA) - At the 42nd Gender Is My Agenda Campaign meeting in Addis Ababa, experts reaffirmed that gender responsive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is not only about dignity and health it is foundational to women’s economic empowerment and Africa’s sustainable development.
Held at the margins of the 39th AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the meeting convened AU institutions, UN agencies, civil society, youth leaders, and development partners around a shared commitment - Advancing Gender Responsive Water and Sanitation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa.
Gender is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) Network is a coalition of over 55 African civil society organizations (CSOs) aimed at promoting gender equality and women's empowerment, primarily by holding bi-annual pre-summit meetings to monitor the implementation of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA). Founded in 2002, GIMAC focuses on monitoring the implementation of the SDGEA, promoting women's rights, and advocating for gender-responsive policies within the African Union and its member states.
As highlighted by Ms. Zuzana Schwidrowski, Social Economic Development Director at the ECA, inadequate access to WASH continues to disproportionately affect women and girls shaping education outcomes, productivity, safety, and health. With 68 percent of Africans lacking access to safe drinking water and only 33 percent having water on premises, the gendered cost of water scarcity is both visible and costly.
Across the women’s lifecycle, WASH determines economic opportunity.
For girls, poor school sanitation limits attendance and future earnings.
For women, unpaid water collection and inadequate sanitation restrict paid work and entrepreneurship.
For mothers, poor WASH increases health risks and economic insecurity.
By 2040, nearly one in four children globally will live in areas of extreme water stress, with girls most affected. These are not only social losses they are macroeconomic losses.
Financing and Accountability Turning Policy into Practice
A key highlight was the Financing and Accountability Clinic, which equipped young women and youth advocates with practical tools to track, question, and influence WASH investments.
Africa invests USD 10 to 19 billion annually in WASH, yet an additional USD 30 billion per year is needed by 2030 to achieve SDG 6. Over 300 million people still lack clean water and 700 million lack adequate sanitation.
As highlighted by Ms. Edna Akullq and Ms. Judith Beatrice Auma Oduol ,ECA Economic affairs officers during the training- commitments without financing and financing without accountability will not deliver gender justice.
Driving Gender Transformative WASH Governance
Ms. Akullq, also underscored the role of development partners in strengthening gender responsive budgeting, improving disaggregated data, supporting civil society accountability, and aligning investments with Agenda 2063 and the human right to water and sanitation.
As Ms. Schwidrowski noted, "Investing in WASH is not only a matter of dignity and health, but also an economic imperative."
Looking Ahead
The outcomes of this convening will inform GIMAC’s outcome document and AU Assembly deliberations, positioning WASH as a driver of inclusive growth, human capital development, gender equality, and climate resilience, with strong implications for access to water and women’s economic power. Furthermore, gender equality in WASH is an essential, strategic lifecycle investment.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org