CSW60: Progress on SDGs not possible without gender equality
The 60th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) has published a set of agreements, with UN Member States committing to the gender-responsive implementation of Agenda 2030. The conclusions recognize women’s vital role as agents of development, and that progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at the heart of Agenda 2030 will not be possible without gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) sent a strong delegation to CSW60, which took place from 14-24 March in New York, to ensure the commission would emphasize the importance of combining SDG5 (gender equality) and SDG6 ( access to water). WfWP- president Mariet Verhoef-Cohen: “We have been pushing hard to get the connection between water and women highlighted in the final conclusions, rewritten the proposed draft text twice and sent to some 25 UN missions. The final text is satisfactory, though we had hoped our proposed addition regarding the need to systematically design, collect and analyse disaggregated gender statistics and data had been included.”
Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) sent a strong delegation to CSW60, which took place from 14-24 March in New York, to ensure the commission would emphasize the importance of combining SDG5 (gender equality) and SDG6 ( access to water). WfWP- president Mariet Verhoef-Cohen: “We have been pushing hard to get the connection between water and women highlighted in the final conclusions, rewritten the proposed draft text twice and sent to some 25 UN missions. The final text is satisfactory, though we had hoped our proposed addition regarding the need to systematically design, collect and analyse disaggregated gender statistics and data had been included.”
"We have been pushing hard to get the connection between
water and women highlighted in the final conclusions"
Bring women to the designing table of water projects, because designs of technical installations often are not women friendly, i.e. being too heavy, too high
The agreed final text on water and women reads as follow: “[the Commission] Urges governments to provide universal and equitable access for all to safe and affordable drinking water, and adequate sanitation and hygiene, in particular in schools, public facilities and buildings, paying special attention to the specific needs of all women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by inadequate water and sanitation facilities [and are at greater risk of violence and harassment when practising open defecation, and have specific needs for menstrual hygiene management; and to improve water management and wastewater treatment with the active participation of women.”
WfWP also actively participated in the hosting of several side-events during CSW60, among which a high level event on “Women in Water Diplomacy”, hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of The Netherlands to the UN. The session, in line with this year’s World Water Day theme “Water and Jobs” linked the enormous political disparity in the diplomatic world (only 6% of women are diplomat) with the severely lacking influence of women in the water sector. The presence of five female ministers at this session (from Aruba, Curacao, South Africa, Suriname and The Netherlands) nicely illustrated a different world is possible.
The need for Gender-disaggregated data, a key message of WfWP, was addressed in the session “Women, sustainable development and ICT - How open data can enable women in monitoring water resources management and delivery”. Gender-disaggregated data are crucial to know whether there are differences in accessibility, safety, and use of water between men and women.
During the Young Professionals session on “Women’s Responses to Water Crises in the U.S. and Abroad”, WfWP stressed the importance of involving grassroots women in water related projects, to give them capacity training, a voice to pick up a project and skills to negotiate with local authorities and districts. And, to bring women to the designing table of water projects, because now the designs of technical installations often are not women friendly, being for example too heavy and too high.
At the “Mobilizing Women for Climate Justice” session it was advocated that “Best strategies link SDG 5 (Gender Equality) with SDG 2 (Food Security), SDG 3 (Health), SDG 4 (Education), SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG7 (Energy) and SDG 8 (Economic Growth). Verhoef-Cohen in this session presented the success story of WfWP member Tegemeo in Tanzania, where grassroots women through providing water to their villages have moved on to become leaders in women’s rights and advocacy.
The role of women in climate change is also included in the CSW60 agreed conclusions/recommendations: “Recognize the critical role of women as agents of change and leaders in addressing climate change, and promote a gender-responsive approach, the integration of a gender perspective and the empowerment of women and girls in environmental, climate change and disaster risk reduction strategies, financing, policies, and processes, towards achieving the meaningful and equal participation of women in decision making at all levels on environmental issues, and towards building the resilience of women and girls to the adverse effects of climate change.”
Click here for the CSW60 final press release, which includes a link to the full Agreed Conclusions document.
WfWP also actively participated in the hosting of several side-events during CSW60, among which a high level event on “Women in Water Diplomacy”, hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of The Netherlands to the UN. The session, in line with this year’s World Water Day theme “Water and Jobs” linked the enormous political disparity in the diplomatic world (only 6% of women are diplomat) with the severely lacking influence of women in the water sector. The presence of five female ministers at this session (from Aruba, Curacao, South Africa, Suriname and The Netherlands) nicely illustrated a different world is possible.
The need for Gender-disaggregated data, a key message of WfWP, was addressed in the session “Women, sustainable development and ICT - How open data can enable women in monitoring water resources management and delivery”. Gender-disaggregated data are crucial to know whether there are differences in accessibility, safety, and use of water between men and women.
During the Young Professionals session on “Women’s Responses to Water Crises in the U.S. and Abroad”, WfWP stressed the importance of involving grassroots women in water related projects, to give them capacity training, a voice to pick up a project and skills to negotiate with local authorities and districts. And, to bring women to the designing table of water projects, because now the designs of technical installations often are not women friendly, being for example too heavy and too high.
At the “Mobilizing Women for Climate Justice” session it was advocated that “Best strategies link SDG 5 (Gender Equality) with SDG 2 (Food Security), SDG 3 (Health), SDG 4 (Education), SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG7 (Energy) and SDG 8 (Economic Growth). Verhoef-Cohen in this session presented the success story of WfWP member Tegemeo in Tanzania, where grassroots women through providing water to their villages have moved on to become leaders in women’s rights and advocacy.
The role of women in climate change is also included in the CSW60 agreed conclusions/recommendations: “Recognize the critical role of women as agents of change and leaders in addressing climate change, and promote a gender-responsive approach, the integration of a gender perspective and the empowerment of women and girls in environmental, climate change and disaster risk reduction strategies, financing, policies, and processes, towards achieving the meaningful and equal participation of women in decision making at all levels on environmental issues, and towards building the resilience of women and girls to the adverse effects of climate change.”
Click here for the CSW60 final press release, which includes a link to the full Agreed Conclusions document.
