One of the key challenges I observed during the implementation of the CEAA Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, lies in addressing water stress issues that disproportionately affect women and girls. Currently, working on a Gender Program, I frequently engage with community leaders and local women's organizations. These organizations leverage their extensive experience in dealing with water scarcity, which predominantly impacts women and girls who traditionally bear the primary responsibility for collecting water. Young girls and women are twice as likely to be tasked with supplying household water compared to boys, exposing them to dangers such as attacks and harassment. The long distances they travel and the extended wait times they endure to fetch water significantly impede their safety and well-being.
Strengthening the capacity of these women through our program has shown that empowering them allows them to take greater control over their lives at personal, household, and community levels. This empowerment uplifts entire communities because improved access to water for irrigation enables women to grow crops and provide more food for their families. Better access to water also frees women from the time-consuming task of water collection, allowing them to pursue education, entrepreneurship, jobs, cultural activities, personal development, and leadership opportunities, thereby enhancing their income potential. Additionally, improved water and sanitation access leads to better reproductive health and childcare.
To Elevate Djiboutian and local women and girls from the sole focus on fulfilling their families' basic needs in water-stressed areas, it is essential to implement advanced means of water access. This may include drilling wells for communal use or developing more sophisticated water and wastewater infrastructure systems, depending on the specific circumstances.
Access to education and various learning opportunities is another crucial pillar for empowering women. Empowering and fostering economic growth at the local level is vital for achieving a transformative and sustainable impact on local leadership in Djibouti.
Through this Localization Initiative, we aim to enhance the resilience and leadership capabilities of local women, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to drive sustainable development in their communities. By focusing on advanced water access solutions and building sustainable livelihood's opportunities, we can create a more equitable and prosperous future for all.
Making progress on local leadership in program design and implementation and channeling more resources to initiatives that focus on women’s empowerment and economic growth for local women in Djibouti, will have a sustainable impact. This approach ensures equity and significantly reduces violence.
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Today, we released our latest report on our progress to shift funding and decision-making power to the people, organizations and institutions driving change in their own communities and countries.
Read this Devex op-ed from Administrator Samantha Power to learn how we're working to hit our localization targets: https://lnkd.in/gEga3i8x
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