Network “GWANET – Gender and Water in Central Asia”
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed on 18 May a Letter of Agreement with the Scientific Information Center of the Central Asian Interstate Commission for Water Coordination to establish a Gender and Water Network (GWANET) in Central Asia Republics (CARs) to improve gender awareness among the water sector stakeholders at regional, national and local levels, and strengthen their capacity in incorporating gender issues into the decision-making process.
The objectives of the GWANET:
- improved gender awareness among the water sector stakeholders at regional, national and local levels through establishment of GWANET;
- strengthened capacity of the water sector stakeholders for incorporating gender dimensions into the decision-making process.
Since ADB’s assistance program in the CARs includes a number of water related loan and TA projects, it is expected that this project will help improve understanding of the stakeholders’ needs, in particular, gender dimensions, in implementing national and regional water related activities.
The project will have two components: (i) Gender Awareness Promotion; and (ii) Capacity Building of Water Sector Organizations. The first component will be implemented through existing water network of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) and GWP CACENA with the gender focal points represented by one water specialist and one NGO in the CARs.
One-year activities will include a number focus group discussions and training of the water sector stakeholders at regional, national and local levels to raise gender awareness within water sector and reveal the most critical problems in the sphere. It is expected that by project completion a set of recommendations will be prepared and submitted to national and local governments on how to incorporate gender into the development agenda in the water sector and prepare gender related sector policies in the CARs.
The second component will include participatory workshops and hands-on training for water sector organizations in the CARs to mainstream gender at the decision-making level with the aim to achieving a 30% quota for women’s participation in the water-related activities. The project activities will also be published and broadcasted in the local mass media and will be posted on the this web-site.
One of the main project results should be the establishment of informal network “GWANET — Gender and Water in Central Asia”, which will unite all concerned organizations and individuals to promote gender aspects in water resources management.
We call upon all concerned persons to join the Network in order to all together:
- Raise awareness and promote gender mainstreaming in the region
- Attain more knowledge and understanding of gender issues in water management
- Exchange experience and best practices on the matter, translate theoretical concepts on gender into action
- Build profile for the need of gender sensitization and a platform for women’s voices within the governance structures of the region
- Lay the foundation of further cooperation leading to successful gender sensitive water management
- Create the network among concerned agencies and individuals to facilitate further cooperation both national and regional level
