Outcomes Pre-Conference Event 1: Women Water Forum in Dushanbe
High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015
Pre-Conference Event 1: Women Water Forum
Women for a water secure world under the Post 2015 global agenda for sustainable development
We, more than 180 women and men from 29 countries and 5 continents - participants of the Women Water Forum, held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 8 June 2015, from various countries around the world, representatives of national and international institutions and organizations - politicians, water experts, academicians, community activists and media representatives, are determined to bring our voice to support the comprehensive implementation of the water and gender related commitments and targets under post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.
This conference marks the completion of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015 at the same moment that the international community is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and negotiating the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Twenty years ago, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were adopted as milestone agreements firmly anchoring the objective of gender equality within a human rights framework. The Beijing Platform for Action includes specific commitments on Women and
Environment with a focus on the right to water for all.
We believe in the Dublin Principles and urge governments, NGOs and private actors to join efforts in implementation of these principles by involving as many women as possible from the earliest stage of policy and project design to implementation, management, control and assessment.
However, despite progress made on these commitments, we are seriously concerned that:
As the UN Member States finalize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), It is crucial that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), link achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls (SDG 5), on one hand, with ensuring access and sustainable water and sanitation services for all (SDG 6), on the other hand, as well as SDGs linked to financing, monitoring and risk and disaster management need to be based on gender disaggregated data and indicators. We need to ensure that all human beings – women and men, girls and boys, stand at the center of concern for sustainable development.
We expect and strongly encourage Member States to STEP It UP by taking very practical and urgent actions to ensure that their citizens live a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
We urge recognition and support for women’s essential roles in the development of sustainable and ecologically sound consumption and production patterns and approaches to water management without conflicts and violent disputes.
We urge national governments, local authorities, companies, organizations, universities, schools and health care centers have to make provisions that:
We call for full implementation by the Member States of their commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of women as stated by the Beijing Platform for Action and the Political declaration adopted by the UN Commission on the Status of Women (59th session, 2015).
We call for practical commitments by the states and the international community in order to achieve the post-2015 SDGs’ targets and indicators. Increased and accessible financial resources are needed in order to thoroughly address the manifold interlinkages between sustainable development and gender equality.
We urge to renew global partnerships for sustainable development from human rights and gender equality perspectives to eradicate existing inequalities and power imbalance; empower women as leaders in water sector with equal opportunities for jobs at decision-making level.
We call for full integration of principles and priorities deriving from human rights, including the human right to equality, into water related frameworks, agenda, programs and dialogues.
We insist that economic, social and environmental policies have to comply with international norms and standards on gender equality, non-discrimination and human rights.
Governments must prioritize women’s and girls’ access to clean, private and safe sanitation that reflects gender-specific needs such as menstrual hygiene and addressing the risk of violence in the context of women’s rights to an adequate standard of living, through access to decent work and delivery of gender-responsive, universally accessible and high quality services, social protection measures and infrastructure.
Alliances between the public and private sector should be built, where appropriate, to scale-up investments that guarantee universal and sustainable access to essential services and infrastructure.
We stand for raising the profile of women’s involvement on an equitable basis in water sector and propose an UN Water and Women Year (2017) and UN Water and Women Day (2017) – 25 years after the adoption of the Dublin Principle 3[1].
We call on the commitment of this High-level Conference for the establishment of a dedicated Women for Water Fund as called for during the High-level Conference on Water Cooperation in Dushanbe, 2013.
We encourage the participating states to commit to this initiative and to report at the next international water related fora on the actual progress achieved.
[1] Principle 3 - Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water
High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015
Pre-Conference Event 1: Women Water Forum
Women for a water secure world under the Post 2015 global agenda for sustainable development
We, more than 180 women and men from 29 countries and 5 continents - participants of the Women Water Forum, held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 8 June 2015, from various countries around the world, representatives of national and international institutions and organizations - politicians, water experts, academicians, community activists and media representatives, are determined to bring our voice to support the comprehensive implementation of the water and gender related commitments and targets under post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.
This conference marks the completion of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015 at the same moment that the international community is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and negotiating the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Twenty years ago, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were adopted as milestone agreements firmly anchoring the objective of gender equality within a human rights framework. The Beijing Platform for Action includes specific commitments on Women and
Environment with a focus on the right to water for all.
We believe in the Dublin Principles and urge governments, NGOs and private actors to join efforts in implementation of these principles by involving as many women as possible from the earliest stage of policy and project design to implementation, management, control and assessment.
However, despite progress made on these commitments, we are seriously concerned that:
- Women and girls globally invest 40 billion hours per year to fetch water for the fundamental needs of their families instead of spending more time for their children, utilize educational and business opportunities, have more time for leisure, etc.
- Girls and women continue being exposed to the threat of violence when accessing unsafe water and sanitation facilities;
- 1/3 of girls globally rarely go to school during menstruation due to lack of adequate sanitation facilities. Menstrual taboos are still practiced in a number of countries restricting girls from visiting school and women from attending their work place.
As the UN Member States finalize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), It is crucial that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), link achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls (SDG 5), on one hand, with ensuring access and sustainable water and sanitation services for all (SDG 6), on the other hand, as well as SDGs linked to financing, monitoring and risk and disaster management need to be based on gender disaggregated data and indicators. We need to ensure that all human beings – women and men, girls and boys, stand at the center of concern for sustainable development.
We expect and strongly encourage Member States to STEP It UP by taking very practical and urgent actions to ensure that their citizens live a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
We urge recognition and support for women’s essential roles in the development of sustainable and ecologically sound consumption and production patterns and approaches to water management without conflicts and violent disputes.
We urge national governments, local authorities, companies, organizations, universities, schools and health care centers have to make provisions that:
- Access to clean water and safe sanitation services is practiced universally as a fundamental human right;
- Gender is mainstreamed in the implementation and management of water supply, sanitation and disaster response policies and projects;
- Water management is made more efficient as women’s skills, knowledge and contribution are adequately valued in their specific social roles;
- Women are empowered as agents of change; programs are prioritized for building capacity of women as technical experts and leaders at project and community level, in water-users associations, as well as at high decision-making positions.
We call for full implementation by the Member States of their commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of women as stated by the Beijing Platform for Action and the Political declaration adopted by the UN Commission on the Status of Women (59th session, 2015).
We call for practical commitments by the states and the international community in order to achieve the post-2015 SDGs’ targets and indicators. Increased and accessible financial resources are needed in order to thoroughly address the manifold interlinkages between sustainable development and gender equality.
We urge to renew global partnerships for sustainable development from human rights and gender equality perspectives to eradicate existing inequalities and power imbalance; empower women as leaders in water sector with equal opportunities for jobs at decision-making level.
We call for full integration of principles and priorities deriving from human rights, including the human right to equality, into water related frameworks, agenda, programs and dialogues.
We insist that economic, social and environmental policies have to comply with international norms and standards on gender equality, non-discrimination and human rights.
Governments must prioritize women’s and girls’ access to clean, private and safe sanitation that reflects gender-specific needs such as menstrual hygiene and addressing the risk of violence in the context of women’s rights to an adequate standard of living, through access to decent work and delivery of gender-responsive, universally accessible and high quality services, social protection measures and infrastructure.
Alliances between the public and private sector should be built, where appropriate, to scale-up investments that guarantee universal and sustainable access to essential services and infrastructure.
We stand for raising the profile of women’s involvement on an equitable basis in water sector and propose an UN Water and Women Year (2017) and UN Water and Women Day (2017) – 25 years after the adoption of the Dublin Principle 3[1].
We call on the commitment of this High-level Conference for the establishment of a dedicated Women for Water Fund as called for during the High-level Conference on Water Cooperation in Dushanbe, 2013.
We encourage the participating states to commit to this initiative and to report at the next international water related fora on the actual progress achieved.
[1] Principle 3 - Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water
