About the dashboard

The main purpose of the Equal Aqua database is to enable policy makers, donors, public and private entities in the water sector to visualize women’s leadership and representation across water institutions globally, comparing performance levels across regions, country income levels, and fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) contexts. The dataset also analyzes global and regional averages for inclusive policies and female-friendly work environment.

The Equal Aqua dataset began in 2019 with a focus on opportunities and approaches that Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) service providers can adopt to eliminate the barriers to employment and career advancement. It has since been expanded to include Water Resource Management (WRM) institutions and private sector water institutions.

As part of the commitment to deliver more and better jobs for women, Equal Aqua provides water institutions with various diagnostic instruments including the Equal Aqua HR survey, which has recently been upgraded and is now accessible and administered digitally. The enhanced survey includes new questions specifically addressing the gender pay gap and indirect employment, allowing institutions to gain deeper insights into equity and women’s representation.

Data collection is ongoing among World Bank client water institutions—if you would like to contribute to this benchmarking exercise, please email equalaqua@worldbank.org.

Data Sources

The database includes original data from the Women in Water Utilities: Breaking Barriers report and new data collected in coordination with World Bank client water institutions using the Equal Aqua HR survey.


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Methodology
Database Overview

This database contains data from 304 institutions, both public and private, including Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) and Water Resource Management (WRM) Institutions.

To qualify as private operators, water institutions need to have paid employees. Small Private Water Operators (PWOs), which are usually family-owned, are excluded from the database if they have fewer than 10 employees as they are considered informal firms by ILO standards. .

Definitions

Water or Wastewater/Sanitation Service Providers - WSS

WSSs include institutions that provide water or wastewater/sanitation services such as public utilities, privately owned water operators and local government/ municipal service providers. Institutions must have paid employees. A water institution can be defined as an 'utility', whether it provides only water services, only wastewater or sanitation services, or both.

Water Resource Management institution - WRM

WRMs include irrigation agencies, river basin organizations, dam safety organizations and other water regulatory authorities. Institutions must have paid employees and as such, community-level water user associations, farmers’ organizations, or other types of community-based organizations and committees are not included under the WRM institutions in the Equal Aqua database.

In March 2024, several 'irrigation and land reclamation' institutions were added as state agencies providing irrigation services to farmers under government contract.

Calculation Methodologies

Workforce Composition: Workforce composition (women vs. men) is calculated as the number of women in each category ÷ total in the same category (n). Workforce categories include total employees, licensed engineers, managers at all hierarchical levels, board members, and Managing Directors/CEOs.

Employment Dynamics: Time-based metrics examine 12-month periods. Recent recruit percentages calculate female new hires divided by total new hires. Promotion and exit rate metrics follow identical methodology using the same temporal framework.

Training and Development: Institutional-level calculations measure the number of institutions with programs ÷ total responding institutions (n). Programs include technical training (formal skill development), leadership training (management development), and structured mentorship programs.

Infrastructure Support: Same institutional-level approach measuring methodology applies to gender-separated toilet facilities, childcare support (either on-site or subsidized), and private lactation rooms.

Policy Framework: Institutional assessments covering formal gender strategies/targets/quotas, flexible working arrangements (remote work, flexible hours), and written sexual harassment prevention policies.

Data Quality Considerations

When institutions do not respond to specific HR survey questions reflected in certain indicators, that excludes non-responding institutions from specific metric denominators (n).

References

  • 1 World Bank. 2017. Global study on the Aggregation of WSS Utilities (using IBNET data)
  • World Bank. 2019. Women in Water Utilities: Breaking Barriers. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32319 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
  • Klien, Michael. 2017. Statistical Analysis: Global Study on the Aggregation of Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities. World Bank, Washington, DC.
  • International Labour Organization (2003): Guidelines concerning a statistical definition of informal employment, endorsed by the Seventeenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (November-December 2003); in: Seventeenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (Geneva, 24 November - 3 December 2003), Report of the Conference; Doc. ICLS/17/2003/R; International Labour Office, Geneva, 2003

Update Logs

Data last updated: March 2026