Water is power – and women pay the price.

Water represents life, yet for millions of women and girls worldwide, it is also a burden, a risk, and a barrier. In many regions of the world, they are traditionally responsible for the family's water supply. Without water, they lack more than just a basic necessity: they lack education, security, and the chance for a self-determined life.

In rural areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, this means walking for kilometers every day to an often unsafe water source. The burden rests on the shoulders of women – quite literally. For girls, this means less school time, more responsibility, and greater danger. Attacks along the way, chronic exhaustion, and interrupted education are a sad reality in many regions.

Even the water that is painstakingly fetched is often contaminated. Diseases like cholera or diarrhea spread rapidly – with serious consequences for the entire family. A lack of medical care exacerbates the problem. The water crisis is therefore no longer just an ecological or economic issue, but one of social justice and, above all, gender equality.

Climate change is exacerbating the situation: droughts, floods, and falling groundwater levels threaten access to water worldwide. Where water is already scarce, what little there is becomes increasingly difficult to obtain. In crisis regions, water becomes a contested resource – and thus a factor of power.

Despite international goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals, which include providing clean water and sanitation for all by 2030 (SDG 6), implementation is progressing too slowly in many places. Promising approaches like solar-powered pumps or new filter systems often fail due to long-term maintenance requirements or a lack of local expertise. What is needed above all are projects that are locally rooted, community-owned, and economically viable.

This is how the cooperation with ING helps.

Since 2023, Girokonto Future customers of ING, in cooperation with share, have been supporting clean water projects around the world. In these projects, we work with partner organizations to promote the maintenance, repair, and construction of wells and hand pumps. This not only creates clean water sources but also secures the infrastructure for long-term use. Since May 2025, the Girokonto Future community has been supporting a very special project: together with Welthungerhilfe (World Hunger Aid) and the local population, we operate a reverse osmosis plant in Bangladesh. It transforms salty seawater into clean drinking water – a true game-changer for the local people. Through initiatives like these, we actively contribute to achieving SDG 6 and ensure that women and girls, in particular, benefit from improved access to clean water.

Since the introduction of the Futures current account, we have been able to provide an impressive 12 million days of access to safe drinking water. This progress is only possible thanks to our dedicated customers who make a valuable contribution by choosing the Futures current account.

Water crisis: Why women are the key to the solution

It's clear: The global water crisis is not just an environmental or economic issue – it's also a question of gender equality. Because secure access to water means not only better health for women, but also more time for education, work, and personal development – a crucial step towards equality.

Solutions exist, but they need to be implemented. Sustainable water projects, education for women, and close collaboration with local communities are key. Only in this way can we ensure that women no longer bear the brunt of the water crisis – but instead have the opportunity to actively shape their own lives.