By Adysti Raissa Fitri, Head of East Asia Pacific, Financial Institutions, WaterEquity
This International Women’s Day, we recognize women not just as individuals shaping their own futures but as economic catalysts, driving progress that extends across households, communities, and entire economies. At WaterEquity, we see this impact unfold daily— women represent 93% of the end-clients that our investments support. Women are typically responsible for securing water for their families, so it makes sense that they would be motivated to take out a loan for improving their water or sanitation access. But the effects of financial inclusion don’t stop at the individual level.
When a woman gains access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, the returns ripple outward. She can reinvest in her family’s health, ensure her children—especially daughters—stay in school, and unlock time for work and entrepreneurship. Access to sanitation also fosters security and dignity, sparing women from the risks of leaving home at night. In schools, proper facilities enable female students to attend regularly, particularly during menstruation, ensuring their education is uninterrupted. The result? A multiplier effect that strengthens economic resilience, reduces poverty, and fuels long-term stability.
From Household Stability to Economic Growth
Access to safe water and sanitation isn’t just a basic human need—it’s a vital economic enabler. The time spent collecting water or managing the consequences of poor sanitation is time taken away from income-generating activities. The shift from daily survival to economic productivity has measurable effects: higher household incomes, improved health outcomes, and greater financial stability. In my experience, when women are trusted with financial resources, they gain agency, start businesses, and foster positive change within their families and communities.
Kavita Shankar Mali from India exemplifies the transformative power of access to basic sanitation. For years, she and her family struggled without a toilet at home. Determined to change this, she took out a of INR 15,000 (~$170) from CreditAccess Grameen Limited with a monthly installment of INR 1328 (~$15). Within two weeks, her family had a fully functional sanitation system. The impact was immediate—better health, uninterrupted school attendance for her children, and even an increase in her husband’s productivity, which Kavita estimated as a monthly income boost of INR 3500 (~$40).
A Smarter Investment in Resilient Communities
Financial inclusion is more than access to capital—it’s about expanding agency. When women have the financial tools to invest in their households, they become key economic actors in their communities. They start businesses, create jobs, and contribute to stronger local economies.
Mumina’s self help group sits together after their weekly meeting.
Mumina, a seamstress and micro-entrepreneur in Indonesia, knows this firsthand. She spent hours each day collecting water, cutting into the time she needed to grow her business, and had to pay a large portion of her husband’s earnings just to secure enough water for her family. Together with the women in her self-help group, Mumina applied to a local lending partner of Water.org and WaterEquity to finance water solutions for their homes. She secured a microloan to install a household water connection. The time she reclaimed allowed her to expand her business, boost her household income, and reinvest in her family’s well-being.
Why This Matters
Women’s financial inclusion isn’t just a social priority—it’s an economic necessity. According to the World Bank, closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could increase global GDP by more than 20%. Through my conversations in the field, one thing is clear—when women gain access to water, sanitation, and financial tools, they don’t just improve their own lives; they unlock possibilities for entire generations. Investing in women is not philanthropy—it’s a strategy for sustainable economic growth.
A Call to Action
This Women’s Day let’s move beyond seeing women as beneficiaries of financial inclusion and recognize them as the drivers of sustainable growth. Microfinance remains a critical tool for advancing gender equality and economic opportunity, proving its relevance across generations.
As impact investors, recognizing the interconnectedness of water access and gender equality is pivotal. By strategically directing investments toward solutions that address both household and infrastructure needs, we can help alleviate burdens that disproportionately affect women and marginalized communities. The returns extend beyond financial gains: healthier families, thriving businesses, and a future where economic growth is both inclusive and sustainable.
The question isn’t whether we can afford to invest in women—it’s whether we can afford not to.
Information on Kavita Shankar Mali is from a verification survey done by Water.org and WaterEquity with 200 end-clients of Credit Access Grameen Limited.
Information on Munima provided by Water.org. Read full story here.
Total committed capital and fund performance data as of 12/31/2024. Social impact data as of 09/30/2024. All investment has a risk of loss. There can be no assurance of any level of social or environmental impact. There is always the risk that impact investments will have a net negative impact, despite efforts to achieve net positive impact.
Photo Credits to Water.org