Norfolk WI highlighting the plight of women across the world who have to collect water. Photo: Bill Smith

Water was dragged from the River Wensum today by a group of women determined to highlight the difficulties involved in getting clean water in third-world countries.

To send a link to this page to a friend, simply enter their email address below.

The message will include the name and email address you gave us when you signed up.

Email address

  Send link

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

Women from a number of Women’s Institute groups in the county, pictured, dragged 20l buckets of water from the river at Pulls Ferry in a symbolic gesture.

The gesture was to highlight the effort women in the third world make to carry water needed for drinking, cooking and washing for a day.

Members of the 20-strong group carried a litre each, whereas women in the third world have to carry that all on their own.

Mary Dorrell of the Norfolk WI, said: “Carrying 20l buckets of water is a health hazard. It is the equivalent of your total baggage allowance on an aeroplane flight.

“Women in places like Zanzibar and Afghanistan who do this get problems with their spine or hip, leading to problems in childbirth. If we want a drink we turn on the tap, so why is there anybody in the 21st century without easy access to clean drinking water?”

Yesterday was designed to be something striking before the debate at a conference on March 9 at the University of East Anglia.

The conference – Women Reaching Water, Water Reaching Women – and the event yesterday are part of Norfolk WI’s efforts to highlight the United Nation’s pledge in 2000 to halve, by 2015, the number of people without easy access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. 
photo: bill smith