World Water Day 2026: Equality in Water Starts Within Our Own Sector

World Water Day 2026 carries a powerful message: “Where waterflows, equality grows.”

Globally, this highlights the critical link between access to clean water, sanitation, and gender equality. While that global WASH context is vital, I want to reflect closer to home—on equality within the UK water sector, and specifically the experience of women working within it.

Because equality doesn’t just flow through infrastructure. It flows through industries, workplaces, and the rooms where decisions are made.

The Current Picture: Progress, but Not Parity

The UK water sector has made progress, but the numbers still tell a clear story. Women make up around 20-30% of the workforce, with a disproportionate concentration - around 80% - in secretarial roles, compared toa UK average of 72%. Leadership gaps remain significant.

These statistics aren’t abstract. They show up in everyday experiences.

Being the Only Woman in the Room

In my role, I spend a lot of time in meetings and conferences-online and in person - and it’s still very common to find myself as the only woman, or one of very few.

That carries a weight.

There’s the persistent question: Am I being heard? Am I being taken seriously?
There’s the imposter syndrome that creeps in, even when you know you deserve to be there.

And occasionally - thankfully rarely, but still too often - there are comments.
Comments that feel dismissive or undermining.
Comments about appearance or tone that simply wouldn’t be directed at male colleagues.

Those moments are small in isolation, but cumulative in impact. They are reminders that equality is not yet embedded - it’s still something many of us are navigating.

The Emotional Cost - and the Drive to Change It

None of this is new. Many women before me have said it - and said it powerfully.

But that doesn’t make it any less real, or any less tiring.

There’s a constant effort involved in showing up, speaking up, and pushing through spaces where you are visible, but not always fully valued. And yet, there is also resilience and a strong sense of purpose.

I feel incredibly privileged to be in a position where I can sit at those tables and contribute to conversations shaping the future of water in the UK. But privilege doesn’t remove the need for progress.

The Power of Community

What gives me hope is the strength of the female community within the sector.

Organisations and initiatives like:

• The Women’s Utility Network
• The Community of Women in Water
• British Water’s Women in Water conference

…are creating spaces where women feel heard, supported, and empowered.

I’ve been in women-focused spaces where the atmosphere is entirely collaborative, energising, and open. The passion and drive in those rooms is undeniable.

It raises an important question: What would our industry look like if that environment wasn’t the exception - but the norm?

The Importance of Support - and Paying It Forward

While there is still work to do across the sector, I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of an organisation that genuinely champions women.

I’ve been encouraged to step into spaces I might once have felt too nervous to enter, to speak at events, to contribute confidently, and to take up space in a way that feels supported and valued. That kind of encouragement is not a given, and it has had a profound impact on my confidence and growth.

With that support comes a responsibility.

Because the real power of encouragement isn’t just in receiving it- but in passing it on.

In the spaces I’m part of, I try to actively encourage other women to share their knowledge, to speak up, and to recognise the value of their voice. Confidence can be contagious. When one woman is supported to step forward, she creates space for others to do the same.

That ripple effect matters. It builds momentum. And over time, it can reshape the culture of our industry.

Equality Must Be Inclusive

It’s also important to recognise that gender equality is not a single, uniform experience.

Women of colour, for example, often face additional and intersecting barriers within professional spaces. If we are serious about equality, we must acknowledge those layered challenges—not overlook them.

And we must ensure that our conversations around gender are fully inclusive of trans and non-binary people.

Too often, gender-focused discussions fail to include these voices. That exclusion matters, particularly in a sector so closely tied to something as fundamental as access to water and sanitation.

Recent developments here in the UK have brought this into sharper focus. The ruling last summer around biological sex being used as the determinant for access to certain facilities highlights a critical issue: access to safe, appropriate sanitation services is not a given for everyone.

For some trans individuals, something as basic as using a bathroom can involve discomfort, anxiety, or feeling unsafe - being forced into spaces that do not align with their gender identity.

That is not equality.

And in a sector that exists to provide essential services, it is something we cannot ignore.

From Representation to Real Equality

We are starting to see more women entering the sector and progressing through it. That matters. Representation is a crucial step.

But representation alone isn’t equality.

True equality means:

• Women and gender non-confirming individuals of all races and ethnicities are present at all levels, including leadership
• Their voices are consistently heard and valued
• Workplace cultures are inclusive by default, not by exception
• Bias is actively recognised and addressed

It also means ensuring that equality includes everyone - not just those who already feel able to participate.

A Final Reflection

Water is fundamental to life. It connects communities, sustains ecosystems, and underpins economies.

But the systems that manage water must reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

Right now, we are not there yet.

Equality doesn’t happen passively. It grows where effort, intention, and accountability are applied.

So this World Water Day, while we look globally at the vital link between water access and gender equality, we should also look inward - at our own sector.

Because where water flows, equality can grow. But only if we make space for it.

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