By Gabriel Udeh, Kaduna
Experts in the water sector in Kaduna state have revealed that most water boreholes operating and in Kaduna state are contaminated with sewer water due to proximity.
The revelation was made on Monday during a ‘One-day Roundtable on Gender in Water Sector’ and ‘Sensitization Forum on Equal Aqua Frame work’, for about 50 female staff in the water sector.
Organized by Kaduna State Water Corporation (KAdSWAC), the Managing Director of the Corporation Comrade Sanusi Maikudi said the essence of the sensitization forum among other things was to encouraged women participation in water sector development.
Research, according to him, have shown that women are the custodian of water and always fetched it from well, streams, taps and other source of water, which also informed the essence of the sensitization.
According to Comrade Maikudi, water is so essential to life, but it’s supply is limited, adding that no living things in the world could exist without using water, be it plant or animal.
While revealing that 9.75 percent water supply in the whole world is either conterminated or polluted and not fresh, Comrade Maikudi said only 2.5 percent water is fresh for human consumption and satisfaction, as 4.5 billions people don’t have safely managed water in the world.
He also noted that the number of women participation and management in water sector in the whole World is ngligible despite their important and intelligent, saying no woman has been made Managing Director in management of water Sector.
“All the over the world the story is the same that women have been marginalized in the management of water Sector and resources”, adding that anything that would be of barrier for the progress of women in water sector work place be removed.
“Women should wake up and open up and be knowledgeable”, the MD said, also stressing that if women play their roles effectively, the society would not be a better.
He also enjoined women to open up on anything that would stand their way to become management staff Working in water sector.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Mrs. Patience Gimba said the whole core essence of the one day round table on Gender in water sector is how to over come gender related issues hindering women in water Sector work place.
Also speaking on Conquering Gender Based Violence, Fatima Abdullahi said KAdSWAC brought the women together on the table to achieves participation water sector (Equel Aquq).
She said there are about three sexual violence referral centre in kaduna state hospital, for any woman to report their cases of abuse by either their boss in offices without disclosing their identity.
An NGO woman in water sector, Mrs Doris D, said Women are supposed to be traditional custodian of water and change agent who should clean up any environment they found themselves including water source.
She also stated that as women who work in place that safe life, shame should not hinder them from reporting cases of abuse when necessary.
KAdSWAC also revealed that the state government has completed plans to ensure that until a license is obtined from the regulatory body, people will be allowed to drill boreholes anymore any how. End
