ujh78

Sex and geographic disparities
In general, there was no sex disparities related to the distance to the water source in sub-Saharan
Africa (see Figure 4.7). In Chad, however, the percentage of children who were living more than a 15-
minute walk from the water source was more than 2 percentage points higher for females (58%) than for
males (56%) (see Table 4.3).
In every country with the exception of Liberia, a greater proportion of rural children than urban
children lived more than a 15-minute walk from a water source (see Figure 4.8). Geographic disparities of
at least 40 percentage points were seen in Kenya (urban: 14% and rural: 54%), Uganda (urban: 32% and
rural: 76%), Niger (urban: 14% and rural: 55%), and Ethiopia (urban: 31% and rural: 76% (see Table
4.3). The urban-rural difference was the reverse in Liberia: 18% of children in urban areas and 12% of
children in rural areas lived more than a 15-minute walk from the water source (a difference of 6
percentage points).
The role of the household head’s sex and age
Whether children with a male or a female head of household were more likely to live more than a
15-minute walk from the primary water source varied across the countries (see Figure 4.9). In eight
countries the percentage living far from water was at least one percentage point higher for children living
with a male household head (see Table 4.3). In nine countries the percentage was at least one percentage
point higher for children living with a female household head.
Major differences by sex of head of household appeared in Ghana (male household head: 32%
versus female household head: 22%) and Senegal (18% versus 7%) (see Figure 4.9). Additionally, the
difference between children living with a male or female household head was more than 70 percentage
points in Kenya (male household head: 47% and female household head: 55%) and Zimbabwe (34% and
41%).
The age of the household head was especially important in Namibia. The percentage of children
living more than a 15-minute walk from the primary water source was 16 percentage points higher for
children living with a household head at least age 50 (39%) than for their counterparts who lived with a
younger head of household (23%) (see Table 4.3 and Figure 4.10 ).
Variations during the last 13 years
Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Rwanda all experienced large increases in the percentage of
children living more than a 15-minute walk from a primary water source (see Figures 4.11 and 4.12). This
increase—10 percentage points—was most evident in Ethiopia, where the percentage increased from 61%
in 2005 to 70% in 2011 (see Table 4.2).
Senegal demonstrated a major improvement in the percentage of children living more than a 15-
minute walk from the primary water source, with a reduction of 28 percentage points from 2005 (44%) to
2010-11 (17%). Other countries that experienced important reductions—more than 15 percentage
points—included Lesotho (2004: 55% and 2009: 39%), Mali (2001: 29% and 2006: 12%), and Nigeria
(2003: 53% and 2008: 35%).
61