South Africa is confronting a critical moment in its history, where the safety of women is being questioned. The nation is being called upon to stop, reflect, and ask itself difficult questions about the state of its society. The theme of the newly established AWSISA Women's Forum, "I am my sister's keeper," is a call to collective responsibility, emphasizing that the safety, dignity, and well-being of one woman cannot be separated from the well-being of another.
Femicide in South Africa is not only a criminal justice problem but also a social, cultural, economic, and developmental crisis. Women are the principal custodians of a nation's living heritage, passing down languages, stories, customs, and community values from one generation to another. When a woman is murdered, a nation loses more than a life; it interrupts a chain of knowledge, care, memory, and belonging. The impact of femicide is far-reaching, affecting not only the victim's family but also the community at large.
The principle "I am my sister's keeper" extends beyond protection from physical violence to protecting the knowledge, values, traditions, and relationships that women carry across generations. It is about creating a society where women can nurture families, lead communities, participate in the economy, and preserve their collective heritage without fear. This is closely linked to another essential resource: water. Water sustains households, agriculture, health, and communities, and women, particularly in rural areas, bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing, managing, and protecting water.
The connection between water and women is critical in South Africa, where female-headed households are more likely to fetch water from streams or rivers, and women spend more time collecting water. This has significant consequences, including limiting their opportunities for education, employment, and economic empowerment. Therefore, water infrastructure is also social infrastructure, and a reliable tap closer to home can mean greater dignity, improved safety, and more opportunities for women and girls.
The AWSISA Women's Forum should become a platform for organizing, amplifying, and translating women's voices across the water and sanitation sector into action. The forum should connect professional women in water institutions with women in rural communities, municipalities, research institutions, civil society, and the broader development community. Its mandate should extend beyond celebrating women to asking difficult questions about water projects, governance, and infrastructure.
The forum's objectives should include promoting women's participation in water governance, supporting mentorship and leadership development, and championing safer and more accessible water and sanitation infrastructure. It should also help change the narrative about women in the water sector, from beneficiaries and users to leaders, custodians, professionals, and decision-makers. Ultimately, the responsibility for ending violence against women belongs to society as a whole, and men must be part of that transformation.
The AWSISA Women's Forum gives the water sector an opportunity to contribute to the action needed to address femicide in a distinctive way: by connecting the protection of women with the protection of water, community resilience, and living heritage. The challenge before South Africa is larger than water, gender, or infrastructure; it is about what kind of society the nation chooses to become. The forum's efforts should be rooted in partnership, evidence, and action, and its impact should be felt across the country.
Key points
- The AWSISA Women's Forum aims to promote collective responsibility and action to protect women's safety, dignity, and well-being in South Africa.
- Femicide in South Africa is a social, cultural, economic, and developmental crisis that demands a comprehensive and multi-faceted response.
- The connection between water and women is critical in South Africa, and water infrastructure can play a significant role in promoting women's empowerment and safety.
