Women In Ethiopia: Engaging in Hydropolitics for Social Change

You may have noticed the background picture of this blog. It is from Aida Muluneh, a passionate photographer and activist from Ethiopia.

She created the Addis Foto Festival, an annual event that celebrates African photography and provides a platform for new and established photographers alike to showcase their work. In addition to her photography, Aida has been actively involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality, girls education, and water conservation in Ethiopia. She has worked with WaterAid Ethiopia for more than 10 years, creating photographic campaigns and art installations that help raise awareness of water poverty, hygiene and sanitation. 

The project aims to create awareness of water-related issues in Ethiopia and to raise funds to assist communities in gaining access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in their villages. Images were taken in Ethiopia's Oromia, Tigray, and SNNPR regions.

"Burden of the Day"

"The shackles of limitations"

Indeed, women are often the primary caretakers of water resources. 

Worldwide, 80% of households without direct access to a water source rely on women to find and collect water. This problem is more widespread in lower-income countries and is especially acute in sub-Saharan African nations.

The long and difficult journeys to collect water in drought-stricken areas put girls and women's safety at risk, along with their health, and represent a loss of time and opportunity.

Ethiopia is a populous country of 122 million people with a highly diverse mix of ethnicities, creating complex issues for governance and resource distribution. It is the source of many transboundary rivers, most notably the Nile. Yet, the water situation in Ethiopia is precarious. Access to safe drinking water and sanitation service remain low with only 13% of the population having access to safely managed drinking water.  Ethiopia's western region (the Abay Basin) has the most access to water supplies, while the east, particularly the Awash Basin, has too much demand for the limited water supply.

Engaging women in water projects is important as they are more likely to be aware of local problems related to water resources and are better positioned to identify solutions. Moreover, studies have shown that when women are more actively involved in political decision-making, it leads to higher levels of public services provided. 

Networks of women led organisations (e.g. Ethiopian Women in Water and Climate Association) have fostered collaboration between local governments and communities and involved women in water projects.