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Bridging
the Gender Divide
The
Secretariat's emphasis on bridging the gender gap in water issues and ways to
incorporate women as a Major Group of Agenda 21 into the participation
mechanisms
Stakeholder dialogue, gender mainstreaming, and the involvement of both men and
women in an equitable way in water resources development, management, and use
have proven to be successful in eliminating inequalities and achieving
development goals.
The 5th
World Water Forum co-organizers are striving to ensure the participation of all
stakeholders relevant to water and sanitation issues in both the preparatory
process and the Forum itself. They have therefore incorporated a number of
mechanisms to apply equity aspects and a participatory approach for a wide
range of stakeholders.
A
Focus on Women
Experts have long agreed that women
are major stakeholders in all development issues related to water. In various
international conferences and global commitments, from the United Nations Water
Conference at Mar del Plata in 1977, Agenda 21
and up to the more recently defined Millennium Development Goals, the need to
target gender equality and empowerment of women was recognized as well as their
central role in providing, managing and safeguarding water resources and
sanitation services.
However due
to still existing barriers and challenges within the legal, constitutional,
social, cultural and economic spheres, women’s views are still underrepresented
in the water sector and a gender equity approach is not yet widely practiced,
especially at the local level.
To help
bridge gender and other divides in the water and sanitation sectors and to
bring women’s voices, concerns, needs, priorities and visions to the 5th World
Water Forum, the co-organizers are supporting the balanced participation of
women and men from different regions and sectors......
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