The Work of the Gender and Water Alliance

Gender deals with differences between women and men, the usually unequal relations between them, the division of work, their different responsibilities and skills and their different rights. Gender interacts and reinforces age, ethnic, socio-economic and other power differences. But gender remains a confusing concept for many people. Often the work and attributes of men are valued more than those of women: men often make decisions, whilst women do a lot of the actual work.

Women carry a lot of water for the household, for their animals and their crops. Such tasks are considered of low social value, whereas taking decisions has high social value. However, these unequal gender relations are often considered normal. We are told that this division of rights and responsibilities is natural, that it has always been like that, and that it will always be like that, ignoring the fact that the only thing which is constant is change. Societies change and our values change along with it.

Uphill battle

There is no natural, biological reason why women should fetch water while men get educated as water engineers. Today, it is promising to see lots of women undertaking technical education at various levels. Even so, the task of creating equality for women remains an uphill battle. Historically, the water world has been male-dominated: men, mostly higher educated than women, sit on local, national and international decision-making bodies which structure our irrigation systems, water supply and sanitation. The realisation is growing that women have a lot to offer to these bodies and to decision-making. Women have valuable skills and local knowledge which need to be tapped, if we are serious about the environment and the use of precious water resources.

This is why the GWA works to ensure that the voices of poor women, children and men are all heard in the planning and implementation of water management policies and systems.

Since its formation in 2000, GWA has made great strides. We work towards a growing consciousness about the importance of gender mainstreaming in the water world, for more efficient and effective water management, for more sustainable improvements and for equality between different categories of people. Male dominance used to be taken for granted by many decision-makers. Through the work of our members, both individuals and organisations, our gender sessions at international meetings, and our representation on numerous international bodies, we contribute to making the voices of poor women and men heard. We are in constant conversation with women and vulnerable groups to make sure their needs are understood, through our work in partnerships, such as with UN-Habitat in the Water for African Cities Programmes. We need to work hard to maximise our impact, because the world needs the contribution of every woman and every man in the water world. We hope for your support and understanding.