Commitments Made at the Gender Court

After the session "Gender in Court" some governements and institutions expressed the following commitments to Gender mainstreaming in the water sector.

1. Government of Brazil

Cooperation with the Gender and Water Alliance, primarily for the “Zero Thirst” Programme that is still being developed. The “Zero Thirst” aims to ensure that each Brazilian will have access to adequate and quality water supply. The Programme aims to integrate governmental action on this subject and to call for participation of civil society.

2. Government of Sri Lanka

Establishment of a new unit in the Ministry of Irrigation & Water Management for mainstreaming gender.

3. UN DESA – United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

UNDESA will incorporate a proposal on the second series of the Gender and Water Development Reports by the Gender and Water Alliance as part of the International Year of Freshwater 2003. UNDESA will incorporate gender into strategies for implementing the Millennium Development Goals in water supply and sanitation, and be part of a new task force on Water and Gender within the Interagency Network on gender issues.

4. United Nations Development Programme

UNDP will be continuously updating the UNDP Resource Guide on Mainstreaming Gender into Water Management, in collaboration with the Gender and Water Alliance. UNDP will establish

specific targets for increased participation of women in CAPNET programmes and emphasis on gender perspective in learning materials and programmes of CAPNET participating institutions;
special focus on support to strengthening of women’s groups within the activities of the community water initiative; and
highlight gender perspective in the strategy and work of the MDG water task force.

5. Building Partnerships for Development

The BPD plans to work together with the Gender and Water Alliance to develop a gender audit tool to be used specifically for analysing partnership situations. The audit tool will be tested initially in three-four partnership projects before being made available more generally.

6. Asian Development Bank

This partnership will be a mechanism for regular dialogue and collaboration between the ADB and the Gender and Water Alliance on mainstreaming gender into water resources and management policies, strategies and programmes, including that of disaster and flood management programmes. This partnership will be a collaboration on gender capacity building; developing good practices and facilitating country and regional dialogue.