Water is a Human Right
In the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, dignity, equality, security, and freedom of thought are all acknowledged. But what about water access? With over 1 billion people in the world not having access to safe drinking water and millions dying each year from lack of water with basic sanitation, one could argue that fresh water access is a universal human right. This essential right is the focus of the Women and Water Rights exhibition.
There are over 50 artists that have contributed to the exhibit, drawing their inspiration from water insufficiency and its lengthy history. The exhibit, Women and Water Rights: Rivers of Regeneration, first premiered in February 2010 at the Regis Center for Art at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. During its run, it was very effective at highlighting the importance of water accessibility for all people around the world. The project continues with Women and Water Rights: Concerning Water, an exhibit at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, WI, running through July 22, 2012 . Featuring work by local, national, and international artists, water as a right serves as the inspiration, subject, and material for the various pieces of art.
Women and Water is an organization arranged by seven different women from the University of Minnesota, Women’s international League for Peace and Freedom, and the Women’s Caucus for Art. The pairing of women and water rights comes naturally, as water is a central part of the responsibilities for millions of women around the globe. It is women that are essential in retrieving, providing, and managing water. In all corners of the world, women are using water for drinking, bathing, preparing food, and countless other essential activities. Women and Water not only recognizes the connection that women have to water, but also the power that comes from this bond.
The Women and Water Rights: Concerning Water is able to be viewed from now until July 22nd.
