The Women for Water, Water for Women
Partnership focuses on bridging gaps between principles and practise in
sustainable water management and in particular on the role of women in
this process. The key question is not whether gender should be a major
element in improving water management, but how this can be achieved.
At the 2nd World Water Forum in 2000 in The Hague, the Netherlands
Council of Women (NVR) ran successful initiatives including a panel
discussion attended by over 400 participants - both women and men. The
audience stressed the need for solidarity and partnerships between the
major groups in society and called for the development of a new
globalisation starting from below - a trans-national, social movement
focussing the issue of improved water management. According to Dr. Wally
N'Dow, the then Secretary General of HABITAT II this movement should
"agitate, demonstrate, participate and reach across national
boundaries as well as act locally". Ismail Serageldin, the
past-Chairman of the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century and
Vice-President of the World Bank added: "Policy makers need to be
made aware that community participation is essential to the success of
water management arrangements - and that you cannot have effective
participation without really addressing the empowerment of women".
For the Netherlands Council of Women, the outcome of the session was
a programme of commitment and action. During the World Summit for
Sustainable Development in 2002 in Johannesburg the NVR along with
Business & Professional Women International (BPWI) and Women in
Europe for a Common Future (WECF) launched the "Women for Water
Initiative". NetWwater, Sri Lanka joined this initiative aiming at
uniting forces of existing women's organisations and networks for the
implementation of gender-sensitive and pro-poor Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM). An increasing number of women's grassroots
organisations world-wide have shown interest to link up with this
action-oriented network.
The best strategy for bridging the persisting gender gaps in the
water sector is that women act locally and join forces globally. Women
for Water present their portfolio of action, but will need the support
from governments to become equal partners in existing and future water
partnerships.
For more
information: www.womenforwater.org
or mail to info@womenforwater.org
or water@bpwnl.nl
