Message 44:Priscilla M Achakpa

Priscilla M Achakpa writes that involving the stakeholders is the most important issue in the operationalisation of the minimum agenda.

What should be done to effectively mainstream gender in water management in agriculture?

There is a great need to build the capacity of women especially at the rural communities to be able to engage their policy and decision makers effectively. Secondly, women activitist engaged in water management needs to expand their level of activism thus not limiting it only to urban areas. Thirdly, the need to support NGOs, CSOs financially, technically and otherwise working in the area of water and agriculture is crucial especially in developing countries where water has become gold and unreachable to the very poor and marginalized group.

What are the feasible steps that need to be taken by the different stakeholders on the ground and at different levels of decision making/intervention?

The NGOs/CSOs needs to intensify their advocacy and refocused their strategies towards the policy and decision makers on gender mainstreaming into water management. They also need to create awareness/sensitization on the inherent dangers of not mainstreaming gender as stakeholders on policies and decisions on issues of water management and agriculture to the public, government and policy makers. The government/policy makers need to create a conducive environment where the stakeholders can make inputs into policies, decisions as well as the implementation of such actions/policies on water management and agriculture. Technical and financial support to the CSOs/NGOs is critical at this point, and this should be provided by bilateral organizations, UN, various governments and funding agencies.

How do we operationalise some of the steps proposed in the minimum agenda?

We need to develop a tool on how to mainstream gender in water management and use it as an advocacy tool upon which, various NGOs/CSOs can use with their various governments. Secondly there is the need to have a global campaign with specific emphasis on gender mainstreaming that can be used simultaneously with policy and decision makers. Thirdly, there is the need to build technical and financial capacity of especially women NGOs in water management to be able to respond to the issues of gender mainstreaming in water management.
Lastly, the need to have all stakeholders involved cannot be overempasied. The level of inolvement must not be top down, but bottom up approach.

Sincerely yours,
Priscilla M Achakpa
Executive Director
Women Environmental Programme