Improvements in water supply and sanitation not only make personal hygiene more feasible but lighten the burden of women and children, freein up additional calories and time for other productive tasks, and resulting in higher levels of energy and activity for pregnancy, lactation, and child care. Likewise these improvements may lessen the exposure to infections associated with the locality where water is drawn. This paper looks at women's overall roles, their water supply and sanitation roles, at the health consequences of these roles, and at the process of bringing about improvements.