Let's Make A Change
Here are some ways you can donate:
The Lift Station
Supporting all Her2O Programs
Scholarship
Supporting Her2O's Scholarship Program
Amazon Smile
Did you know that you can support Her2O with each Amazon purchase you make?
Yep, that's right, Amazon will donate 0.5% of every purchase you make to Her2O!
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Simply click below and designate Her2O International as your charity in your account and then shop at smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com.
Hear Me
Sharing our stories and experiences as women in the water and sanitation sector helps us reveal and address inequities, and helps other women know they are not alone and learn from each other. We'd love if you'd consider telling us about your experiences, good and bad, as a women in the industry!
All stories shared will be kept anonymous!
"The biggest and most frustrating experience was when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child. The contractor told me I shouldn't be on the job site in my condition and that I should go back to the office. In his mind, he was probably looking out for me and thought my company or supervisor was unfairly working me, but in reality, he was assuming that I, as an adult woman, was unable to 1) do my job while gestating, 2) understand the needs and limitations of my own body, and 3) advocate for myself if needed. It is microaggressions like this that can add up into a larger feeling of less than or of being antagonized, even when all the people around you are being overtly 'nice' or 'caring' or 'respectful'."
Design Engineer, USA
"...The next night of the conference, there was a much larger event at a music venue. There was a live band, a bar, and dancing. I was not drinking, because I was planning on driving home after the event. I was also wearing a company polo, because I had come directly from the conference. My two female coworkers from the night before and I were taking a break from dancing and they were getting some drinks. A man walked up to us and, seeing my polo, asked us where one of our older male coworkers was. We did not know where he was, but he struck up a conversation with us, telling us that this coworker and him grew up together and graduated in the same high school class. He then offered to buy us drinks. I started to get nervous at this point, because when I told him I wasn't drinking because I needed to drive home he was a little irritated.
Luckily, the coworker he knew walked up to us at that time and started talking with us and the man. However during this conversation, the man physically pulled me aside. He had me cornered with the bar to my back, and crowds of people on either side of me. He told me I was the cutest of my friends. I very angrily told him this was not appropriate. He said it was a compliment and got very angry with me. My friend noticed I had been pulled aside and was being yelled at, announced she had to go to the bathroom, grabbed my arm, pulled me away from the man, and we nearly ran to the bathroom. I was very dejected about being in this industry after this conference. I lost a lot of confidence in my interactions with clients and vendors after having multiple men hit on me and make me uncomfortable in just one conference. I felt as though I didn't belong and nobody was ever going to care about my technical achievements because I am a woman. I was almost relieved when COVID cancelled in-person conferences soon after this, because I wouldn't have to deal with industry events and men behaving inappropriately towards me and making me feel unsafe."
Engineer, USA
"In my society being a woman, being single at 30 years old is the duo of failure in social life. And my manager reminds me of this every time the opportunity arises. Once he called me in his office to talk to me, for me it was for work, but I was surprised when he started to tell me that he called me to give me advice and that at my age I should get married and stop wanting to continue my studies (I had asked him for a letter of recommendation for a thesis grant that he did not sign). He told me that if I continued in this way I would end up a spinster. I was so surprised and shocked that he would interfere in my private life that I left the office without saying a word to him."
Water & Wastewater Engineer,
Burkina Faso
See Me
As important as sharing stories is ensuring girls and women alike can see themselves in this sector. That is why we are asking for women in the water and sanitation industry to share images of themselves, headshots, doing their work, being a working mom, for Her2O's use on our website and in materials. We'd sincerely appreciate if you would consider sharing your images!