Imagine a Day Without Water, and Imagine a Future Where Women and Girls Get Their Time Back

Imagine waking up each morning, walking miles and spending hours collecting water before your day even begins. Before heading to school, going to work, or caring for your family, you’re tasked with making the miles-long journey to secure something essential for human survival.

For millions of women and girls around the world, this is their daily reality.

On October 15, Imagine a Day Without Water challenges us to consider what life would look like without reliable access to clean water. But for women and girls who already live with this reality, the question is different: What could life look like if they had access to clean water close to home?

The Hidden Cost of Collecting Water

UNICEF reports that women and girls collectively spend an estimated 200 million hours every day collecting water worldwide. While this estimate dates back to 2016, it illustrates the huge amount of time devoted to meeting one basic human need.

More recent data further highlights how disproportionately this responsibility falls on women and girls. A 2023 report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 1.8 billion people live in households without water available on their premises. In seven out of ten of these households, women and girls ages 15 and older are primarily responsible for collecting water.

That journey can be long. UNICEF's 2016 report found that a single round trip to collect water took an average of 33 minutes in rural sub-Saharan Africa, with journeys exceeding one hour in some countries. For families that need to make multiple trips, those minutes can quickly add up.

But the cost goes far beyond time.

Every hour spent collecting water is an hour that cannot be spent in the classroom, earning an income, or pursuing personal goals. Long journeys can also expose women and girls to physical strain and safety risks, creating additional barriers to their health and well-being.

What Could Women and Girls Do With That Time Back?

Now, imagine a different morning.

Instead of beginning her day with a long walk to collect water, a young girl has time to prepare for school, arrive on time, and focus on her education. Rather than spending hours meeting her family's water needs, a mother can devote more time to her work, spend quality time with her family, pursue business ventures, or simply rest.

Reliable, safe access to clean water close to home can bring these possibilities within reach.

For girls, reducing the time spent collecting water can create more opportunities to attend school, study, and participate in activities that support their development. For women, it can open doors to employment, entrepreneurship, and greater financial independence.

The benefits extend beyond individuals. When women and girls have more time to invest in their education, livelihoods, and communities, families and future generations benefit as well.

And perhaps, most importantly, access to clean water gives women and girls greater freedom to decide how they spend their own time.

Water access isn't just about meeting a basic need. It's about creating opportunities for people to shape their own futures.

Imagining a Future With Water for All

At Vera Aqua Vera Vita, we believe access to clean water and sanitation is fundamental to healthy, thriving communities.

Through our work alongside communities in Peru, we strive to empower people to develop sustainable water and sanitation solutions that improve everyday life and create opportunities for lasting change.

As we recognize Imagine a Day Without Water, we're asking you to think beyond what a single day without water would mean for you.

Imagine what a day with reliable access to clean water could mean for a girl who no longer needs to miss valuable learning time. For a woman who can spend more time building her livelihood. For a community where families can focus less on collecting water and more on pursuing their goals.

This Imagine a Day Without Water, join Vera Aqua Vera Vita in raising awareness about the global water crisis and the opportunities that access to clean water can unlock.

Because when we bring water closer to home, we're not just saving time. We're helping create a future where women and girls have more freedom to learn, grow, and thrive.