Gender Transformative Water Solutions – NGO/CSW Parallel Event

Introduction 

The climate crisis is one of the most urgent crises of our time. On our way to achieving the SDGs we must understand that many challenges the world is facing are interconnected and require an intersectional approach to be solved. 80% of all climate disasters are water related, often leading to the violation of the human rights to water and sanitation in climate prone areas primarily affecting women and girls. This makes the climate crisis a water crisis enhancing gender inequality worldwide. To address these crises successfully, we must commit to tackling their root causes and structural inequalities, combining public and private sector efforts. Many of our current climate ambitions depend on continuous innovation and technology and call for a human rights-based approach in the broader scope of sustainable development. In this regard, digitalization, innovation, and technology play a crucial role for a gender-just transition to enable the human right to water and sanitation for all.  

We see this moment in time – with the CSW67’s focusing on digitalization, innovation and technology for achieving gender equality, and the UN Water Conference taking place right after – as an important moment to bring these issues together. It presents the opportunity to truly approach these crises with an intersectional approach and in doing so, to build a bridge between SDG 5, SDG 6 and SDG 9. Women and girls, in all their diversity, are already leading on innovative solutions using technology to advance climate and gender justice. They work on innovative ways to improve water security and deal with the water-related challenges of the climate crisis, such as droughts, flooding and water pollution. For example, by advancing technological solutions for retaining floodwater and using it for irrigation, or for accessible early-warning systems in case of climate emergency. These women-led water solutions will be the core of the event, with initiatives from both the Asian and the African continent.

Key Issues  

Importance of the cooperation between governments, civil society, and the private sector in gender-just climate action 

Connection between SDG 5, 6 and 9 

Importance of technology and innovation in the construction of gender transformative climate solutions  

Goals for the session 

Providing examples of gender-transformative water solutions that put gender equality at the core in their work on climate action  

Building the bridge between the CSW and the UN Water Conference: show how the two themes of these conferences are connected  

Exchange of knowledge on the water crisis and the excellent work our partners do 

Keynote speaker:

• Henk Ovink (Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of The Netherlands)

Moderator:

• Sascha Gabizon (Executive Director of WECF International)

Panelists:

• Trupti Jain (Naireeta Services, India)
• Joanita Babirye (G4CA, Uganda)
• Viva Tatawaqa (DIVA, Fiji)

Respondents:

• Ngelecha Lyndah (She Leads, Uganda)

Program outline:

Introduction by Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of The Netherlands (10 min) 

Video of the “Water Song” performed by choir and marimba band from St Dominic’s Priory School, Gqeberha, South Africa, introduced by Kendra (aged 15) (5min)

Introduction of the panelists (5 min) 

Best practices of our Southern partners (30 min) 

Ideas from partners on the interaction between the two conferences (15 min) 

Interactive part with responde New York, NY 10017 (on the corner of 44th St. and 1st Ave.)Snts (15 min) 

Wrap up and follow-up (10 min) 

Download the one-page flyer to share, by clicking on the link.