Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Water Day, noticed on 22 March:
This yr’s World Water Day reminds us that secure water and sanitation play a important position in supporting the rights and well being of ladies and ladies.
When entry is missing, it’s girls and ladies who pay the very best toll, counting on unsafe bathrooms; caring for relations made sick from contaminated water; and spending hours every day retrieving water from crowded communal sources — a chore that retains many women house from faculty.
But, this yr’s theme factors to the answer: “Where water flows, equality grows”.
It’s time for Governments to scale up funding and strengthen nationwide water and sanitation programs, by improved supply capacities, workforce coaching and dependable financing. Developed international locations should share the applied sciences, experience and financing required to construct secure, sustainable and resilient water and sanitation infrastructure. And girls should be on the decision-making desk to make sure these programs meet their wants.
Too typically, water is a supply of battle. But, it could actually additionally unite individuals and be a contributor to peace. This yr’s UN Water Conference will convey the world collectively to speed up progress on water and sanitation for all.
Together, let’s make water a power for gender equality, and let the advantages stream to each group on this planet.