Announcement "Gender in Court"

The Gender and Water Alliance brings its work in mainstreaming gender “to court” at the Gender and Water Session in the 3rd World Water Forum. After 3 years of hard work to mainstream gender in water and sanitation policies, institutions, programmes and projects it is time to assess the results.

More than 200 people will attend the Gender and Water Session that will take place in Kyoto International Conference Hall (Room D) the 17th March 2003 from 9:00 to 16:00. In an innovative session, a mock trial will be used to analyze the impact of gender approaches in water and sanitation policies, institutions and programmes. A jury representing governments, private organizations, NGOs, independent experts, and international organizations will announce a “verdict”. The strengths and weaknesses of the cases presented will be assessed leading to recommendations for further actions and commitments.

Gender as a key topic

The Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) session is the main session scheduled under the theme “Gender”. The session is being organized by the GWA in collaboration with several other organizations working actively to promote gender within the water and sanitation sector. We expect to show and discuss concrete examples of “how to” mainstream gender mainly in organizational policies, structures and practices and how these can result in new and effective initiatives and services. Gender will be mainstreamed also within other sessions of the Forum: Africa day, Latin America day, Water and Poverty theme, etc.

Objectives

The main objective of the Gender and Water Session at Kyoto will be to assess the progress of gender mainstreaming in Integrated Water Resources Management since the 2nd World Water Forum and create new stepping stones to navigate solutions after the 3rd WWF.

Moreover: the sensibilisation of stakeholders and audience on key gender issues in the water sector by sharing concrete experiences on how gender can be mainstreamed at different levels and strengthen existing networks; strengthening partnerships of organizations (those already working on gender with the ones that would like to do it).

A new way to discuss Gender

The Gender in Court session is visualized as a public hearing in which there will be four parties present in the room:

Panel of Judges: it will be composed by the main facilitator of the Session H.E. Ambassador Priscilla Jana and organizations that have been funding and committed with gender mainstreaming such as the Asian Development Bank, DGIS (the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and DFID (The Department for International Development, UK). The role of the Panel will be to deliberate the whole session, listening to both sides with a spirit of dialogue and conciliation.

Gender Advocates: the second group will support its assertion that incorporating gender perspectives makes a difference to effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability in the water sector. This group will have the participation of stakeholders (international and local NGOs, national and district governmental officials, water sector experts, etc.) that have experience and examples on gender mainstreaming; it will present the 4 cases and answer to the questions of the public and the Questioners. This group will be facilitated by Maliha Hussein, Chairperson of GWA.

Questioners: they will challenge and question the viewpoint of the Gender Advocates that gender perspectives make a difference and will also question the impact that Gender Advocates have had in the sector. The questioners group will assist in identifying what can be done better. This group will be facilitated by Jon Lane, former Water Aid Director.

The Public: the fourth group is represented by the audience in the room, and it will be given a chance to share its experience and bring forward its own view point throughout the day.

Cases speak

The discussions are being organized around a set of four separate cases which have been brought in for hearing before the Public and for judgment by the Panel of Jury.

Beneficiary level: the first case will consist of a group of women and men from communities who will explain how the incorporation of gender perspectives in projects and programmes has made a difference to their lives.

Community level: the second case presented by CBOs and NGOs which shows how its work with the community has made a difference. In this case study community leaders and NGO and CBO representatives will come forward and explain how gender was mainstreamed and what difference it has made.

Institutional level: the third case will outline that some of the major challenge that exists are at the institutional level where existing attitudes of decision-makers and implementers and institutional structures present a major obstacle. One of the principle obstacles at this level is to make a difference in the attitudes of the people who manage these institutions and are at the helm of policy development. It is particularly at this level that capacities need to be built.

Policy level: and the fourth case will focus on how lack of policy constraints the effectiveness and efficiency in the water sector. It will provide some good practices of what is being done at this level as well as the real impact of policies and legislation concerning gender and the water sector.

Each case will be presented by a Case Defendant who outlines the main aspects of the case on behalf of the Gender Advocates Group and calls forth witnesses in support of her main argument. At the end of each presentation, the Questioners will get a chance for cross examination and call their own witnesses to the stand. The audience will be given a chance at the end of these presentations to put across their own experience.

All the expositors and the stakeholders are already selected but you are kindly invited to take part as the audience and to visit us in our Stakeholders booth that will be located in the Conference Centre Main Hall.