Central Asia creates Women for Water Network
Central Asian and Afghan water-resources women experts at a workshop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 16-18 June have created a new women for water network of women scientists, engineers, managers, and policy makers in the region.
The workshop “Empowerment of Women in Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Central Asia and Afghanistan”, was co-organized by the U.S. Embassy in Astana, the Socio-Ecological Fund PF in Almaty, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). WfWP steering committee treasurer and executive director of WfWP member Earth Forever Diana Iskreva presented, chaired and moderated several sessions at the workshop. The overall objective of the workshop was to improve inter-governmental and transboundary collaboration among women scientists, engineers, managers, and policy makers to help empower women in critical decision-making regarding access to water and enhancing career opportunities.
Invited water resources women experts from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghan discussed enhancement of participation and empowerment of women within the water sector in science, policy, and management work. They shared local, national and regional perspectives with each other and interested students of the hosting German-Kazakhstan University (DKU) in Almaty, and learned from the international experience and knowledge shared by invited American and German speakers.
The participants represented a wide variety of sectors, a.o.: science, governments, NGOs, water and sanitation, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), agriculture, geology, glaciology, landcape management, international relations and development.
By the end of the intensive program the participants took the first step in creating a new network of women scientists, engineers, managers and policy makers from Central Asia and Afghanistan. This network will take the discussions of the critical issues facing women in the region forward and inform solutions.
The workshop “Empowerment of Women in Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Central Asia and Afghanistan”, was co-organized by the U.S. Embassy in Astana, the Socio-Ecological Fund PF in Almaty, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). WfWP steering committee treasurer and executive director of WfWP member Earth Forever Diana Iskreva presented, chaired and moderated several sessions at the workshop. The overall objective of the workshop was to improve inter-governmental and transboundary collaboration among women scientists, engineers, managers, and policy makers to help empower women in critical decision-making regarding access to water and enhancing career opportunities.
Invited water resources women experts from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghan discussed enhancement of participation and empowerment of women within the water sector in science, policy, and management work. They shared local, national and regional perspectives with each other and interested students of the hosting German-Kazakhstan University (DKU) in Almaty, and learned from the international experience and knowledge shared by invited American and German speakers.
The participants represented a wide variety of sectors, a.o.: science, governments, NGOs, water and sanitation, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), agriculture, geology, glaciology, landcape management, international relations and development.
By the end of the intensive program the participants took the first step in creating a new network of women scientists, engineers, managers and policy makers from Central Asia and Afghanistan. This network will take the discussions of the critical issues facing women in the region forward and inform solutions.
