Lesha Witmer & Maggie White (Butterfly Effect) - 6th WGI Meeting (2-3 November 2015, Paris)

1. INTERNATIONAL YEAR
WATER AND WOMEN
PROPOSED FOR 2017

2. 25 YEARS
• IN JANUARY 1992 THE DUBLIN STATEMENT ON WATER AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT WAS ADOPTED: THE DUBLIN PRINCIPLES. ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES
(NUMBER 3) STATES THAT “WOMEN PLAY A CENTRAL PART IN THE PROVISION,
MANAGEMENT AND SAFEGUARDING OF WATER. THIS PIVOTAL ROLE OF WOMEN
AS PROVIDERS AND USERS OF WATER AND GUARDIANS OF THE LIVING
ENVIRONMENT HAS SELDOM BEEN REFLECTED IN INSTITUTIONAL
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF WATER
RESOURCES. ACCEPTANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PRINCIPLES REQUIRES
POLICIES TO ADDRESS WOMEN SPECIFIC NEEDS AND TO EQUIP AND EMPOWER
WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE AT ALL LEVELS IN WATER RESOURCES PROGRAMMES,
INCLUDING DECISION-MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION, IN WAYS DEFINED BY
THEM “.

3. THE YEAR WOULD BE TIMELY AS:
- IMPLEMENTATION OF SDG GOALS 5 AND 6 (EQUITY AND WATER)
- EMPHASISES THE ACTIVE ROLE OF WOMEN FOR THE SUCCESS OF WATER MANAGEMENT, IN
INNOVATIVE AND MORE EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES (OPERATIONALIZE PRINCIPLE 3)
- WOULD COMMEMORATE 25 YEARS DUBLIN PRINCIPLES
- WOULD SERVE AS INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK OF GENDER
MAINSTREAMING STRATEGIES OF INTER ALIA AMCOW, ADB, GWP, NBD, OECD, ETC.
- COULD SERVE AS PART OF THE AGENDA SETTING FOR THE NEW DECADE ON WATER AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (IF APPROVED)
- WOULD BE WORTHY FOLLOW-UP TO THE GENDER, WOMEN – WATER- DEVELOPMENT
CONFERENCES IN 2013 AND 2015 (DUSHANBE), ZARAGOZZA CONFERENCES, EAST LONDON
CONFERENCE, RSA (2014)
- CAN BE PART OF THE PROCESSES LEADING UP TO AND AS INPUT FOR THE 8TH WWFORUM,
BRAZIL

4. RESULTS?
• VISIBLE ATTENTION IN NATIONAL PLANS TO IMPLEMENT THE SDGS TO INVOLVE
WOMEN IN WATER MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE;
• CONCRETE PROGRAMMES FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING OF WOMEN IN NON-
TRADITIONAL, WATER-RELATED FUNCTIONS IN NATIONAL PLANS;
• ADAPTATION OF TECHNOLOGY TO BE APPROPRIATE AND USABLE FOR/ BY WOMEN
• IMPLEMENTATION OF A FUND FOR WATER AND WOMEN AT GLOBAL LEVEL.
• ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON WOMEN INVOLVEMENT IN THE WATER SECTOR AND ITS
ECONOMIC IMPACT

5. ACTION?
• PROMOTE THE YEAR WITH NATIONAL MINISTRIES OF WATER AND FOREIGN
AFFAIRS
• LET SOUTH AFRICA AS LEAD COUNTRY DIPLOMATIC PROCESS AND YOUR
MISSIONS IN NY KNOW YOU SUPPORT THIS
• SIGN-UP TO ACTIVITIES / PROPOSE ACTIVITIES
• BE A CHAMPION AND THUS ASSIST IN IMPLEMENTING PRINCIPLE 10 (OECD)