The Women’s Empowerment Water Entrepreneurship project, initiated in Bangladesh as part of the HSBC Water Programme, has been shortlisted for a 2020 Financial Times/ International Finance Corporation Transformational Business Award in the Food, Water and Land category.
The project upskills and empowers women to own and operate climate-resilient reverse osmosis water plants. Reverse osmosis technology is one of a very limited set of options available to provide freshwater in coastal Bangladesh, where much of the groundwater is contaminated by salinity, and surface water sources such as rainwater and pond water provide limited, erratic and unsafe supply.
Reverse osmosis plants play a vital role in mitigating freshwater scarcity as a result of climate change.
For women and girls, who often carry the burden of water collection, the plants reduce time spent travelling to unsafe water sources which reduces their ability to receive education or complete paid work. The project has engaged women as active agents of change leading the sustainable health and economic growth of their communities.
Find out more in the film below: