This study analyzes the gendered management of water within the Amazigh rural communities of the Oulmès Circle (Khémisset) and the Arab communities of Sidi Kacem, examining how drought and male emigration have expanded women’s traditional roles from domestic water to include agriculture and broader water management. Grounded in a feminist political ecology approach and fourteen months of ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation, the research reveals that women’s increased engagement stems primarily from necessity. However, their resulting empowerment remains constrained by deeply entrenched gender norms. These findings underscore the importance of inclusive, culturally adapted policies, such as microcredit and education, in strengthening community resilience and promoting gender equity