About the exhibition

Around World Water Day, a photo exhibition at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris presented images from the Walk of Water Photo Contest, showing how water shapes everyday life, community resilience and gender roles across cultures.

Despite decades of progress, deep inequalities in water access and leadership persist, and women and girls bear the greatest burden. As the primary collectors and managers of household water, they face physical strain, health risks, lost education and income, and greater exposure to violence where services are unsafe.

Inspired by the UN World Water Development Report 2026, Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities, the exhibition highlights women transforming water into opportunity across every continent. Among them are Canadian scientists monitoring oil spills, Zanzibari seaweed farmers, Kenyan women harvesting rainwater and Italian shellfish fishers. Their stories show the vital role women play in water stewardship and why their full inclusion in water governance is essential.

A complementary display linked last year's glaciers campaign with ongoing conversations about equitable water access and climate impacts.

Organised by Onewater gUG under the patronage of the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP). Supported by the Asian Development Bank, WEX, Calumet, GEF IW:Learn and WasserStiftung.