To celebrate World Water Day and International Women’s Day, the March issue of Nature Water features articles at the intersection of SDGs 5 and 6. The Comment by Elizabeth Koch and Bethlehem Mengistu describes the work of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network. The Article by Yichen Guo and colleagues assessed the link between flood exposure and intimate partner violence. The Editorial highlights the call for action of the International Women’s Day 2025 theme: “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”