UN World Water Development Report 2026 highlights the central role of gender equality in achieving water security and human rights
The United Nations has launched the UN World Water Development Report 2026, titled “Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities”, on the occasion of World Water Day (22 March), under the theme “Water and Gender Equality.”
The report delivers a clear message: achieving equitable access to water is inseparable from advancing gender equality, sustainable development, and the realisation of human rights.
Water access as a matter of equity and human rights
Access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is fundamental to human dignity and is widely recognised as a basic human right.
Yet, significant inequalities persist. Around 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, with women and girls disproportionately affected.
Gender-based inequalities in access, use and governance of water resources continue to undermine progress towards the human right to water and many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The gender dimension of the global water crisis
The 2026 report highlights that water insecurity is not gender-neutral. In many parts of the world, women and girls bear the primary responsibility for water collection and household water management.
Globally, they spend an estimated 250 million hours every day collecting water, limiting their access to education, employment and participation in public life.
At the same time, women remain underrepresented in water governance, leadership and technical roles, despite being key actors in water management at the household and community levels.
The report also underlines persistent data gaps: the lack of sex-disaggregated data continues to obscure how water challenges affect different groups, slowing effective policymaking and targeted interventions.
Towards inclusive and gender-responsive water governance
The report calls for transformative action to close gender gaps in the water sector, including:
- strengthening gender-responsive policies and financing
- improving data collection and monitoring
- ensuring equal participation of women in decision-making
- promoting inclusive water governance frameworks
Empowering women in water management is not only a matter of fairness but also a driver of more effective and sustainable water solutions.
A call to action for Europe and beyond
For the European Union, the findings come at a critical moment. As the EU advances its Global Gateway strategy, climate diplomacy and development cooperation, water must be recognised as a cross-cutting political priority, and gender equality as a non-negotiable component of that agenda.
This requires:
- embedding gender-responsive approaches in all EU water-related policies and external action
- scaling up targeted investments in WASH services, particularly in underserved and fragile contexts
- strengthening data systems and accountability frameworks
- ensuring women’s meaningful participation in water governance at all levels
The EU has committed to a human rights-based approach to development. Delivering on that commitment means ensuring that the human right to water and sanitation is realised equally for all. As highlighted by World Water Day 2026, “where water flows, equality grows”, and ensuring universal, equitable access to water is essential to building resilient, inclusive and sustainable societies.
The MEP Water Group will continue to advocate to elevate water on the political agenda, to champion gender equality in all water-related legislation and funding instruments and ensure that EU leadership translates into tangible impact on the ground. Because ultimately, water policy is social policy, climate policy, and human rights policy.
