The Assembly Member for the Anafobisi Electoral Area in the Bongo District, Hannah Talata Asanyuure, has brought grassroots perspectives on women’s access to water and sanitation into continental discussions aimed at shaping Africa’s position ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
Mrs. Asanyuure participated in a high-level African Union webinar that brought together women leaders, water experts and policymakers from across Africa to discuss how women’s experiences and priorities can be better reflected in water policies and decision-making.
The webinar, themed “Time to Deliver for African Women: Shaping the Water Agenda for UNWC 2026,” focused on access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, women’s rights to water and sanitation, and greater participation of women in water governance.
Representing grassroots communities in Ghana, Mrs. Asanyuure shared perspectives on water access, women’s participation in local governance and the challenges communities face when water systems are inadequate or fail.
As an elected female Assembly Member, she highlighted the realities faced by women at the local level, particularly the social and economic consequences of limited access to water.
She also stressed the importance of involving women in decisions concerning water infrastructure and community development, arguing that their experiences should inform policies and projects affecting their communities.
The discussions form part of consultations towards developing Africa’s Common Position ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, scheduled for December 2026 in Abu Dhabi.
Contributions from the webinar and other consultations are expected to support a collective letter to the African Union Commission, the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the Senegalese UN Water Conference Sherpa.
Other speakers included Denise Ayebare of Uganda, Zita Tomety of Benin, Maggie Kathewera Banda of Malawi and Rosemary Mburu of WACI Health.
The discussions are also intended to ensure that the priorities and experiences of African women are reflected in the Africa Water Vision 2063 and the continent’s Common Position for the 2026 UN Water Conference.
Mrs. Asanyuure’s participation brings the experiences of women and communities at the local level in Bongo into broader continental discussions on water, sanitation and women’s participation in water governance.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Anaba Azubire | Bongo
