By Patriot Corps
KAMPALA:The government, in collaboration with development partners, has launched a campaign to enhance water access, sanitation, and hygiene across the country.
The “WASH is Everyone’s Business Campaign” was unveiled by Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, under the theme, “WASH Away Inequality: Access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Every Woman and Girl.”
During the launch at Sheraton Hotel today, the Vice President emphasized that access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is crucial to the national development agenda and the fight against inequality.
“I am pleased that this campaign aims to advocate for and amplify the need for gender-responsive WASH services for women and girls in Uganda,” she stated.
The campaign is being spearheaded by WaterAid Uganda in partnership with several development partners, including the Uganda Water and Sanitation Network, Water for People, IRC-WASH, Oxfam in Uganda, USAID, and UNICEF.
The Vice President highlighted that the National Resistance Movement (NRM), under the leadership of H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has prioritized social transformation and wealth creation. This is evident in the significant investment made by the NRM government in the people of Uganda through prioritizing healthcare, education, water, sanitation, and hygiene.
She informed participants that in the Financial Year 2024/25 budget, UGX 10.216 trillion was allocated to these priorities, adding, “I’m aware that inadequate access to gender-responsive WASH services negatively impacts women and girls.”
Alupo explained that these challenges have contributed to school dropouts among learners and have also increased the risk of gender-based violence for women, as the time spent collecting water could be used for other productive economic activities.
She further noted that addressing these barriers to WASH access requires collective action from both the government and development partners to tackle issues such as infrastructure deficits and cultural norms within our communities and institutions.
The Vice President assured the country that the NRM government is committed to achieving universal access to WASH, as stipulated in Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Currently, water coverage in rural areas is estimated at 67 percent and 73 percent in urban areas. Of the 71,225 villages in the country, 56,617 have been provided with at least one safe water source by the government.
Alupo emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing inequalities by investing in WASH infrastructure, particularly in underserved communities, schools, and healthcare facilities.
On the policy front, the Vice President noted that the government, through the Ministry of Water and Environment, has revised the Water Policy to prioritize the involvement of women and other marginalized groups in water resource management.
She called on development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector to join hands with the government in ensuring that Uganda achieves the 2030 agenda of leaving no one behind, particularly women and girls who are most affected by the lack of WASH services.
The Vice President pledged the government’s commitment to providing gender-responsive WASH services through increased budget allocations, ensuring that no one is left behind, as envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals and the NRM Manifesto.
She also committed her office to working with all development partners and civil society to amplify voices and actions towards ensuring access to and the provision of gender-responsive WASH services for women and girls in Uganda.
Finally, Alupo encouraged all partners to join the campaign and work together with the government to “WASH Away Inequality” and create a better future for all women and girls in Uganda.