Call for action “accelerating gender equality in the water domain”
The UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) coordinates a Call for Action to accelerate the achievement of gender equality in the water domain, together with a Multi-stakeholder Coalition composed by Member States’ institutions, UN agencies, international and regional organizations, NGOs, private sector and civil society.
Launched in 2021, the initiative aims to catalyze concrete action through advocacy, policy, gender-equal funding, and the development of innovative methods, approaches and tools. Set to culminate in 2030 upon completion of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, members’ voluntary commitments within the Call for Action contribute to the new .
We cannot achieve sustainable development without achieving gender equality in the water domain
Achieving gender equality in the water domain is crucial for the accomplishment of standing international gender- and water-related commitments, including those enshrined in the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development - in particular, SDG 5 (gender equality) and 6 (water and sanitation for all).
However, progress towards the realization of these global promises is critically off track, as demonstrated in an analysis document Gender inequalities have been shown to persist at all levels in the water domain, thereby hindering development progress.
The way forward has been delineated in the collaborative Position Paper (), through concrete recommendations that form the foundation of the Multi-stakeholder Coalition action-oriented work.
The call for action aims to advance gender equality in the water domain by prompting concrete action in alignment with the following five ’:
- Ensuring gender-equal funding;
- Narrowing the policy-practice gap;
- Fostering women’s leadership;
- Countering harmful gender norms and stereotypes;
- Prioritizing the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data, and its institutionalization.
The achievement of these objectives is supported through the strategic participation of WWAP and coalition members in leading international and regional events and meetings, as shown in this roadmap. It aims to foster advocacy and widely disseminate the Initiative’s findings and progress.
The global multi-stakeholder coalition
Supporters
The global multi-stakeholder coalition forms the engine of the Call for Action initiative. It comprises Member States institutions, international and regional organizations, funding agencies, Official Development Assistance providers, international and local NGOs, private sector, academia and civil society.
In May 2024, a dedicated online platform was launched to facilitate knowledge exchange and cooperation between members and supporters of the Multi-stakeholder Coalition. This digital ‘community of practice’ moreover serves to inform the wider public on the Coalition’s collective efforts and makes key knowledge resources available. Funded with the generous support of the Republic of Slovenia, this platform allows to multiply the members’ individual efforts in support of its collective goals by 2030.
National institutions
International / Regional Organizations and IGOs
NGOs, Civil Society and Private Sector
Universities / Education institutes
Join the call
Turning the tide of gender inequalities in the water domain requires ambitious objectives and bold and concrete actions of as many relevant actors as possible.
Therefore, WWAP and the multi-stakeholder coalition welcome the support of other Member States and interested partners in this global initiative.
Join the multi-stakeholder coalition and support the call for action initiative!
Key milestones
- The Call for Action was officially launched at global level at the during two high-level session, on and August 2021.
- On 13 October 2021, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2021, WWAP and the Women for Water Partnership organized a .
- The Call for Action Initiative was presented among other at the following major events: African Water Forum (November 2021), Asian World Water Week (February 2022), Dushanbe Water Decade Conference (June 2022), High-Level Political Forum (July 2022), World Water Week (), Korea International Water Week (November 2022), Public-Private Forum for Gender Equality in the Water Sector (July 2023), SIWI World Water Week (August 2023), XVII World Water Council (September 2023), Mexico Water and Gender Week (September 2023), Korea International Water Week (December 2023).
- A special session was held at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on 22 March 2022 to present the Call for Action in a dedicated session.
- On 6 December 2022, WWAP, AMCOW, UNESCO iWSSM, UNOSD and UNU-FLORES organized the high-level side event ‘’ at the UN-Water Groundwater Summit.
- The Government of Guatemala and the Multi-stakeholder Coalition organized the side event ‘’ at the UN 2023 Water Conference, on 23 March 2023.
- In March 2023, the Call for Action and the voluntary commitments by its Multi-Stakeholder Coalition were listed as .
- The first was held on 20-22 September 2023 in Mexico City thanks to the support of the National Association of Water and Sanitation Entities of Mexico (ANEAS), the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of Italy.
- The 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia, hosted the session ‘Fostering Cooperation and Partnership for Water and Gender – Expanding the Multi-stakeholder Coalition to Accelerate Gender Equality in the Water Domain in Asia-Pacific’ on 21 May 2024. It also saw the launch of the new Multi-stakeholder Coalition Platform on 23 May 2024.
Recognitions and support
So far, the Call for Action Initiative has received the following recognitions and support:
- In 2021, through by the Intergovernmental Council of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP), calling upon Member States to support the Call for Action, by joining the Multi-stakeholder Coalition and sustaining concrete actions in line with its specific recommendations.
- In 2022, by the Ministerial Declaration ‘Asia to World Parliamentarian Statement’, issued on the occasion of the 2nd Asia International Water Week, as follows: “…recognizes the UNESCO Call for Action to raise public awareness and adopt concrete gender-transformative actions towards twin goals of safe and secure water for all of the women’s participation and voice in water-related policies and decisions.”
- The final report of the African Regional Consultations on the Mid-term Review of the Water Action Decade acknowledges the need for sex-disaggregated data in the water domain for evidence-based decision-making and notes favorably the Multi-stakeholder Call for Action.
- The 2022 , 2018-2028, positively acknowledges the Multi-stakeholder Call for Action:
We acknowledge the need to address gaps in gender data and agree to strengthen reporting on sex-disaggregated data in the water domain and to strive to make this data available and accessible to all for evidence-based decision-making to promote gender equality in water-related domains and we note favorably the multi-stakeholder Call for Action to Accelerate Gender Equality in the Water Domain
Resources
This extensive analysis presents a detailed overview of the current and emerging challenges to gender equality in the water domain with particular focus on the topics: access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); health; employment; climate change management; water governance; education and training; and data collection and funding. The main findings point out four key challenges:
(i) Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation disproportionately burdens women and girls without commensurate water-related decisions-making power and authority;
(ii) Discrepancies exist between stated pro-gender equality policy discourses and actual practices with continued unequal access and power imbalances;
(iii) Gender-related stereotyping, norms, taboos, discrimination and violence bolster remain widespread and aggravate unequal practices and unequal power relations;
(iv) Inadequate sex-disaggregated data form an obstacle for evidence-based decision-making and management in the water sector.
Publication financed by the Italian Government and Regione Umbria.
Policy paper
This collaborative Position Paper, supported by the members of the Multi-stakeholder Coalition, elaborates on five key action areas for turning the tide of gender (in)equality:
- ensuring gender-equal funding;
- narrowing the policy-practice gap;
- fostering women’s leadership;
- countering harmful gender norms and stereotypes;
- prioritizing the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data, and its institutionalization
Informative brochure
Accelerating gender equality in the water domain through a ‘Call for Action’ advocacy initiative from the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme and the convened global Multi-stakeholder Coalition.
Contact
For more information, contact us:
waterandgendercallforaction@unesco.org