INVESTING IN
WOMEN & GIRLS: Funding Solutions in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
780 MILLION
WITHOUT ACCESS
TO SAFE DRINKING WATER
2.5 BILLION
WITHOUT ACCESS
TO IMPROVED SANITATION
HIGH PROJECT FAILURE RATES
IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 30% FAIL
WITHIN FIRST 2 YEARS
:: THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS
:: SOLVING THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS
Importance of integrated Water, Sanitation
and Hygiene programming
Focus on inclusive long-term sustainability
rather than short-term hardware investments
Water For People Everyone Forever approach
WHY INVEST IN
WOMEN + GIRLS?
When 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases on average by 3%
When women have the same amount of land as men, crop yields increase by 10%
When women’s share of seats in political bodies is greater than 30% = more inclusive, egalitarian and democratic societies
WHY INVEST IN
WOMEN + WASH?
:: WHY INVEST IN WOMEN + WASH
:: WHY INVEST IN WOMEN + WASH
:: WHY INVEST IN WOMEN + WASH
Non-profit dedicated to ending water and sanitation poverty for Everyone Forever
Leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues
Together transforming the water sector and changing the lives of women and girls
WASH in 426 schools and 49 communities across Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, and India
Monitoring programs to improve work and ensure effective, long-term solutions
Scoping out areas for expansion and influencing for replication
THE INDIA EXPERIENCE
:: XYLEM + WATER FOR PEOPLE {THE INDIA EXPERIENCE}
IMPACT OPPORTUNITY • If India enrolled 1% more girls in secondary
school, its GDP would rise by $5.5 billion
• At least 23% of girls in India drop out of school when they start menstruating and those that don’t leave, between the ages of 12 and 18, miss an average of 5 days during each menstrual period.
WORKING TO CHANGE THAT
:: XYLEM + WATER FOR PEOPLE {THE INDIA EXPERIENCE}
GIRL FOCUSED PROGRAMMING
Put girls in charge: • Involve female students in design process
Ensure girl-friendly facilities: • More privacy, wider bathroom stalls,
mirrors, and incinerators
Dispel myths and taboos around female hygiene: • Girls leading school committees on health
and hygiene education
IMPACT
:: XYLEM + WATER FOR PEOPLE {THE INDIA EXPERIENCE}
POWERFUL OUTCOMES
• Helps keep girls in schools
• Replication by government with own financing District of East Medinipur plans to invest
~$2 million USD to replicate school WASH program in over 700 schools
• School approach integrated into national government’s Whole School Development Plan
WHY THIS
IS A SUCCESS
:: XYLEM + WATER FOR PEOPLE {A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP}
• Partnership built on strengths of each organization
• Long-term commitment and investment creates sustainable and innovative programs
• Capitalizes on employee expertise to support programs while boosting work morale
• Influential partnership with the ability to advocate for sustainable approaches and create transformative change