European Parliament candidates show their support for water

Sanitation and Water for All: end inequalities at the 2019 Sector Ministers’ Meeting

Africa-wide state of emergency on sanitation declared at AfricaSan – help needed

Pipe dream or possible: Reaching the furthest behind first in WASH sector?

Summary and main results of the side event held at the UNC Water and Health Conference on 1 November 2018.

Manifesto: Toilets for 50 million people by 2030

Minister Kaag stated in the Policy Notice ‘Investing in Perspective’ that 50 million more people must have access to sanitary facilities by 2030 (SGD6), with an interim target of providing 12 million extra people with sanitation by 2030. However if current trends don't change then this goal will not be achieved. We, the signatory organizations, one day after World Toilet Day, are asking parliament to address the Minister on this question next week when the 2019 Budget of Minister Kaag is discussed in Parliament.

Meet Simavi at the UNC Water and Health Conference

The Water Institute at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill is holding its annual Water and Health Conference from October 29–November 1, 2018. This week Simavi will attend the UNC Water and Health Conference: Where Science Meet Policy. The UNC Water Institute’s annual event has grown to become one of the most important gatherings in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector held in the United States.

Safeguarding Girls’ Sexual Health on Mafangano Island Kenya

What appears as a tropical paradise to the eye, soon reveals itself as a place with one of Africa’s most worrying health conditions. Young girls are easily persuaded into unsafe sex what causes high numbers of HIV infections as well as unprecedented numbers of unintended (teen) pregnancies.

Empowering girls to end child marriage

“People in our village think of girls as burden” says Sriti Kumari, 15 years old, from Deoghar, Jharkand, India. In Deoghar, the rate of child marriage is 52,7%. Our partner NEEDS is trying to Stop child marriage through the empowerment of adolescent girls, like Sriti.

Happy Anniversary SDGs! But should we be celebrating?

Anniversaries tend to be moments of remembrance and/or celebration. And on the third anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it seems like we should all take a moment to remember the commitments made, as opposed to purely celebrating them.

Radical increase in water and sanitation investment required for development goals

Just a few weeks ago leaders from all around the world came together at the United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York to ask governments, donors and other stakeholders to increase their efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2030. These goals were established by the UN in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Current progress toward all 17 targets was discussed over two weeks at UN Headquarters, including a three-hour session on SDG 6, Water and Sanitation. The situation that emerged was troubling, posing the reflection whether we are on track to provide all citizens with clean water and safe sanitation by 2030.

Blog: Promoting menstrual health at the HLPF in New York

Last month, I was in New York to represent Simavi at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the United Nationals (UN) Headquarters. The HLPF is an annual meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York where Ministers, delegates, UN representatives, (i)NGOs, researchers and other stakeholders come together to review the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was my first time attending a high level event like this at the UN HQ. Together with my colleagues I flew to New York with the task to promote menstrual health at the HLPF.