In rural Guatemala, women have traditionally been responsible for collecting all the water to meet their household needs. Often, they must make several trips a day to the nearest water source, exposing them to significant risks of violence or harassment along the way. Despite their critical role, they have rarely been involved in the operation or maintenance of their community water systems, nor have they had a voice in decision-making.

In the lush forests of Chuamazan, Totonicapán, a water management committee is changing this dynamic. The committee, composed of four women and one man, is responsible for maintaining and overseeing three watersheds and a storage tank that serves a community of 50 households.

“Our work is to watch over the forest and the water sources. We check whether the tanks are working properly and report any broken pipes,” says Angelina Chivalán, the committee’s president.

This is Angelina’s first time in such a role, and she is proud to represent her community. “In my community, every house has access to water 24 hours a day. Our responsibility is to ensure that this continues, and to prevent water shortages, we protect the trees and take turns monitoring the area,” she adds.

Standing beside her is Jessica Sapón, who carries a polished wooden cane that symbolizes the committee’s authority within the community. All members are volunteers and take their duties seriously, regularly traversing the forest trails to ensure that the water remains clean and accessible.

This effort is part of the fourth phase of CARE’s Water+ project, which has directly involved 1,115 participants and indirectly reached 75,000 people. The project aims to improve equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation for indigenous communities, with a special focus on women and girls.

The first three phases, each lasting two years, were implemented in the Western Highlands. They focused on collaborating with municipal governments to enhance service management and providing training and support to water committees to ensure the sustainability of rural water systems. The fourth phase is being implemented with a strong gender focus in the departments of Totonicapán and Quiché.

“We are promoting an inter-institutional agenda on women and water, aiming to carry out strategic actions at the national level that can be implemented locally to address the needs of women,” says Adolfo Ochoa, the project coordinator.

Unlike other regions of Guatemala, this community enjoys a plentiful water supply year-round. The gravity-fed water system, with a large storage tank situated on a hilltop and a distribution point downhill, is both cost-effective and energy-efficient.

CARE collaborated with local officials to analyze the entire system, including testing the quality of water consumed by local families.

Agua+ is part of a broader CARE initiative to protect Guatemala’s forests and promote conservation. The water management committee also oversees these conservation activities.

The long-term sustainability of the forest requires a combination of conservation and protection efforts, especially as climate change alters rainfall and temperature patterns. Water management committees are the frontline advocates in this regard. CARE, along with municipal authorities and implementing partners, provides technical advice and support with water quality testing and analysis, but all decisions are made by the committees themselves.

How effective have these four women been on their community’s water committee? “They perform the same functions as men,” says Alex Yax of the Municipal Water and Sanitation Office. “There is still a lot of machismo in most communities, but these barriers are being broken down little by little. Women now perform the same functions as men without any issues.”