Side-event on Women in Water Management

The important role of women in water management was discussed on 10 June 2021 in an online side-event in the margins of the Second Preparatory Meeting of the 29th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum. The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) organized the event in collaboration with the Governments of Finland, Ireland and Japan.

International experts, representatives from OSCE participating States, academia and civil society organizations discussed the importance and benefits of women’s participation in decision-making in the water sector and gender mainstreaming in water governance.

During the event, the representative of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) emphasized the relevance of women’s leadership in transboundary water management, highlighting the long-term targeted and mainstreamed support needed for a sustainable change. The representative of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) shared information on the status of gender mainstreaming in the water sector and river basins in Central Asia, emphasizing the role of the Central Asian Leadership Programme (CALP) in shaping the next generation of environmental leaders in the region. The OCEEA presented the outcomes of their related work, including the guidance document and e-learning course on “Gender Mainstreaming in Water Governance”.

Representatives from the OCEEA, CAREC and SIWI shared updates on their collaboration and the launch of the Mentoring and Career Development Programme for women water professionals in Central Asia and Afghanistan. This activity is part of the OSCE Extra-Budgetary project on Women, Water Management and Conflict Prevention – Phase II.

The Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship Task Force delivered the closing remarks, highlighting the overarching theme of this year’s Economic and Environmental Forum - promoting women economic empowerment and the value of career development activities for women in the water sector.

The Concluding Meeting of the Economic and Environmental Forum is foreseen to take place in Prague on 9-10 September 2021.