Water and Gender in Brazil and Latin America

On the 25th – 27th of October, 2017 the National Water Agency of Brazil ANA) invited experts from Brazil and other Latin-American countries to discuss the way forward towards gender-sensitive and women-inclusive water governance.

I was commissioned to conduct the workshop and provide recommendations for ANA, taking into consideration the workshop deliberations.

The workshop concluded that Dublin Principle 3 on the central role of Women in the provision, management and safeguarding of water is the ‘neglected child’ of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Implementation of this principle was considered key to delivering on SDG6 through an all-of-society engagement and partnership. It needs a long-term strategic approach that is carried through by strong and committed leadership, a medium-term action program that is consistent, informed by research and data, and that addresses the priorities of the different states, (sub)basins and communities; and high profile quick wins to sensitize politicians and the public at large. There was consensus on diversity of gender roles and there was caution to not consider gender parity in numbers as the main indicator for achieving Dublin Principle 3. The intersectionality of gender has to be taken into account and empowerment of grassroots women to raise their voice in public has to be actively pursued so that water and development discussions and decisions become truly gender sensitive.