Women + Water Water.org Fact Sheet

Access to safe water and sanitation is essential for community health and well-being. In India, 163 million people lack access to improved water sources and 210 million lack access to improved sanitation. Over the next five years, this number is expected to increase as India finds itself in the midst of a growing water and sanitation crisis. The Indian apparel industry - as one of the most intensive users of water – is a critical player in ensuring sustainable access and stewardship of this critical resource.

Led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Gap Inc., a global apparel retailer that sources products from about 800 facilities in 30 countries, the Women + Water Alliance (W+W Alliance) is a public-private partnership that aims to improve the health and economic well-being of women and communities touched by the apparel value chain through the provision of sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

The W+W Alliance will create large-scale change in how water is managed by leveraging expertise, resources, and innovative approaches from a consortium of partners from civil society, private sector, and government. Water.org, joins CARE, the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), the Institute for Development Impact (I4DI), to implement this critical work and unlock the potential of women in communities touched by the global apparel industry