WHO WE ARE
We are the Africa Water Justice Network (AWJN), a pan-African coalition of community organisations, social movements, trade unions, feminist collectives, faith-based organisations and water justice advocates. We organise across borders to defend water as a fundamental human right and a common good.
We work towards a future where everyone has access to safe, sufficient, accessible and affordable water, regardless of income, gender, disability or location. Our struggles connect communities resisting water privatisation, unaffordable tariffs, unequal services, pollution and the dispossession of shared water resources.
We stand against the commodification of water and reject privatisation as a solution to Africa’s water challenges. We challenge policies that place corporate profit above public needs or transfer the costs of failed arrangements to poor and working-class communities. We demand adequately funded, democratically governed and accountable public water services, alongside strong community participation and control.
We recognise that water injustice is inseparable from inequalities rooted in colonialism, patriarchy and economic exploitation. We centre the experiences and leadership of women, workers, young people, persons with disabilities and communities whose rights are routinely denied.
OUR OBJECTIVES
Universal access to water
We campaign for universal access to safe, sufficient and affordable drinking water. We demand greater public investment, equitable service expansion and measures that protect people from exclusion because of their inability to pay.
Recognition and implementation of the human right to water
We advocate for explicit recognition of the right to water in African constitutions, laws and policies. We work to translate this recognition into enforceable obligations, adequate budgets and effective accountability.
Public ownership and democratic management
We defend public ownership and control of water resources and services. We promote accountable public institutions, community self-management and public-community cooperation that serve people and protect ecosystems.
Stronger movements and collective action
We connect local struggles, support national water justice platforms and build solidarity across Africa. Through political education, exchanges, research and joint campaigns, we strengthen our capacity to challenge water injustice and advance collective solutions.
Gender and social justice
We challenge the unequal burdens that water insecurity places on women and marginalised communities. We promote feminist organising and meaningful participation in decisions about water, including leadership by those most affected.
Protection of water sources and ecosystems
We campaign against mining pollution, destructive extraction and other activities that threaten shared water resources. We connect water, land, food and climate justice, recognising that healthy ecosystems sustain our communities.
HOW WE WORK
We combine community organising with research, public advocacy and solidarity. Our work includes:
- Supporting member-led campaigns and national water justice platforms.
- Advocating for public financing, affordable services and democratic water governance.
- Developing Blue Communities Africa through practical commitments to water justice.
- Creating spaces for feminist political education and exchanges between communities.
- Producing and sharing research, statements and advocacy resources.
- Bringing African water justice demands into regional and global policy debates.
OUR COORDINATION
Our network is hosted by Africans Rising, with a secretariat coordinating our shared work. We organise through our members, national platforms and regional relationships, with collective direction provided through our General Meeting and Steering Committee.
JOIN US
We invite organisations, movements, activists and concerned individuals who share our principles to join us. By connecting our struggles, sharing knowledge and acting together, we can build the collective power needed to secure water justice across Africa.
Apply to join the Africa Water Justice Network
For membership enquiries or further information, contact info@awjn.org.