Water organizations making a difference
The podcast episode is out now! WOMEN WATER WARRIORS
I’m continuing our series on water equality with this final article There’s much more that could be said here. But I’d really like you to make note of these organization names.
Access to clean water isn’t just about pipes, pumps, and infrastructure—it’s about justice. It’s about who shoulders the burden when governments profit off natural resources while communities are left behind. And more often than not, it’s women who stand at the center of that fight, turning scarcity into solidarity and survival into leadership. Around the world, women and organizations are pushing back against inequity and demanding a future where water and sustainability aren’t luxuries but rights.
But first, let’s finish up spotlighting a few women leading the charge -
Sarina Prabasi: Clean Water as Community Power
Sarina Prabasi, a Nepali-American leader and co-founder of Dobleng Café in New York, has always understood that water is more than just a commodity—it’s a connector of people and possibilities. As former CEO of WaterAid America, she brought global attention to the fact that women and girls are disproportionately affected when clean water is scarce. Prabasi advocates for solutions that don’t just drop technology into villages but empower local women as decision-makers, turning water access into long-term community resilience.
Marina Silva: Protecting the Source
In Brazil, Marina Silva has long fought to defend the Amazon rainforest, the “lungs of the Earth,” which is also one of the planet’s largest freshwater reserves. As a former Minister of the Environment and now a leading political voice, Silva has faced down corporate greed and government corruption to keep rivers, forests, and indigenous lands protected. Her work underscores the geopolitics of water: while governments and corporations see profit, Silva reminds us that rivers sustain people, cultures, and biodiversity—and that women, especially indigenous women, are on the frontlines of defending them.
Solar Sister: Energy, Water, and Women’s Economics
The Solar Sister program connects clean energy to water equality by training and supporting women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa to sell solar lamps and clean cookstoves. Reliable energy means better water sanitation, less dependence on polluting fuels, and more time for women and girls to pursue education and livelihoods. Solar Sister doesn’t just fight energy poverty—it disrupts the cycle where women spend hours every day fetching water and firewood, instead creating networks of independence and climate resilience.
SEWA: Collective Power in India
In India, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has been organizing women in the informal economy since the 1970s. Water access is at the core of this work. Women in SEWA cooperatives have fought for clean drinking water, irrigation for farming, and sanitation in their communities, proving that when women organize, entire villages transform. Their model challenges the global narrative that women are only victims of water inequality—showing instead that they are powerful negotiators, innovators, and political forces.
Water.org: Turning Access into Action
Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org has become a major force in global water advocacy. What makes it remarkable is its focus on microfinance solutions, giving families—especially women—small loans to build toilets or install water taps. This shifts water from being a daily struggle into an investment in health, education, and dignity. Women repay these loans at astonishing rates, proving once again that when women control resources, entire communities benefit.
The Bigger Picture
These women and organizations prove that water justice isn’t just a matter of engineering or aid—it’s political, it’s personal, and it’s gendered. Governments may profit from rivers, dams, and privatized utilities, but women are out here redefining what water equity looks like: communal, sustainable, and rooted in dignity. Whether it’s protecting the Amazon, organizing in India, or building solar-powered futures, women are showing us that the fight for water is the fight for life itself.