Blog WfWP May 2020
By Lesha Witmer, steering committee Women for Water Partnership
May 7 is World Hand hygiene Day; good to support and remind everybody! (https://www.who.int/infection-prevention/campaigns/clean-hands/5may2020/en/) and 15 October is global handwashing day https://globalhandwashing.org/global-handwashing-day/.
Aquawareness: Cooperative Manifesto “A Water Smart Europe”.
Every aspect of our lives depends on water and through the Paris Agreement , the Sustainable Development Goals ,the Aichi Agreement and more recently the European Green Deal, countries strive to address water -related issues. However, according to the 2019 and 2020 UN Water Reports, Europe still has work to do to achieve SDG 6, providing clean water and sanitation for all.
Women for Water strongly beliefs in cooperation across stakeholder groups and boarders, using collective wisdom to achieve SDG 5 and 6. We do not take water for granted and belief water is key to women’s empowerment.
In 2016 therefore we were co-founders of the European Pact for Water (https://europeanpactforwater.org/) and works closely with the EU Water Alliance (https://eu-wateralliance.eu/). The two networks both have a very divers, Europe-based membership, operate on the basis of multi-stakeholder-ship. We may not always agree all on everything because of different focus, mandate and priorities. But we do have a passion in common: contribute and support the creation of a water smart Europe, for Europe’s sake and the planet.
Together with our colleagues in EPfW we mounted a big campaign #StandUp4Water for the EU parliament elections (https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/stand-up-4-water).
Now we support the follow-up campaign facilitated by Water Europe to ensure that water and sanitation become part and parcel of the new programming 2021 – 2027 of the European Commission and is clearly supported through the new Multiannual Financial Framework (https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/eu-budget/documents/multiannual-financial-framework/2021-2027_en) under negotiation.
Europe is not an island and its resiliency has to be understood within the broader geo-political context. The necessity to build a Water Smart society is not limited to Europe and this objective must be extended to its neighbors, such as Africa, and beyond through strong collaboration to avoid repeating our past mistakes across the World. Europe needs a strong Water policy to disseminate its high standards and best practices, particularly with regards to environmental issues and human rights.
We recommend that you read the Manifesto (link), let us know what you think and above all discuss it with your government, in international fora, with colleagues and let’s keep working on this.
And of course: ensure that women’s voices are heard in the future planning and decision-making, enable women to take up jobs in the water sector.
Reactions: secretariat@womenforwater.org.
Are you with us? Become a personal friend. (https://www.womenforwater.org/support-us.html )
By Lesha Witmer, steering committee Women for Water Partnership
May 7 is World Hand hygiene Day; good to support and remind everybody! (https://www.who.int/infection-prevention/campaigns/clean-hands/5may2020/en/) and 15 October is global handwashing day https://globalhandwashing.org/global-handwashing-day/.
Aquawareness: Cooperative Manifesto “A Water Smart Europe”.
Every aspect of our lives depends on water and through the Paris Agreement , the Sustainable Development Goals ,the Aichi Agreement and more recently the European Green Deal, countries strive to address water -related issues. However, according to the 2019 and 2020 UN Water Reports, Europe still has work to do to achieve SDG 6, providing clean water and sanitation for all.
Women for Water strongly beliefs in cooperation across stakeholder groups and boarders, using collective wisdom to achieve SDG 5 and 6. We do not take water for granted and belief water is key to women’s empowerment.
In 2016 therefore we were co-founders of the European Pact for Water (https://europeanpactforwater.org/) and works closely with the EU Water Alliance (https://eu-wateralliance.eu/). The two networks both have a very divers, Europe-based membership, operate on the basis of multi-stakeholder-ship. We may not always agree all on everything because of different focus, mandate and priorities. But we do have a passion in common: contribute and support the creation of a water smart Europe, for Europe’s sake and the planet.
Together with our colleagues in EPfW we mounted a big campaign #StandUp4Water for the EU parliament elections (https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/stand-up-4-water).
Now we support the follow-up campaign facilitated by Water Europe to ensure that water and sanitation become part and parcel of the new programming 2021 – 2027 of the European Commission and is clearly supported through the new Multiannual Financial Framework (https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/eu-budget/documents/multiannual-financial-framework/2021-2027_en) under negotiation.
Europe is not an island and its resiliency has to be understood within the broader geo-political context. The necessity to build a Water Smart society is not limited to Europe and this objective must be extended to its neighbors, such as Africa, and beyond through strong collaboration to avoid repeating our past mistakes across the World. Europe needs a strong Water policy to disseminate its high standards and best practices, particularly with regards to environmental issues and human rights.
We recommend that you read the Manifesto (link), let us know what you think and above all discuss it with your government, in international fora, with colleagues and let’s keep working on this.
And of course: ensure that women’s voices are heard in the future planning and decision-making, enable women to take up jobs in the water sector.
Reactions: secretariat@womenforwater.org.
Are you with us? Become a personal friend. (https://www.womenforwater.org/support-us.html )
