Press release: Women Water Forum in Tajikistan brought together over 170 participants from 40 countries

6 June 2022. Dushanbe, Tajikistan - Today, Dushanbe hosted a Women Water Forum «Equity, diversity, and inclusion: Water unites us», preceding the Second High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028.”

Rapid population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, and climate change contribute to increased competition and water shortages, with women’s role often being overlooked and unrecognized. UN Women 2021 SDGs progress report underlined that in 2020 only 26 percent of 170 countries were actively pursuing gender mainstreaming in water resources management.

One reason for limited progress is the lack of earmarked funds and effective plans that prioritize gender. Women’s participation in policy and management processes is sufficiently high only in 22 percent of countries, meaning that women are formally represented or regularly consulted in these processes.

A core objective of the Dushanbe Women Water Forum was to jointly identify and elaborate science-based solutions and actions that effectively address the needs of women and their communities.

The Forum was attended by Alia El-Yassir, UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia; H.R.H. Nisreen El-Hashemite, Founder President of Women in Science International League and the Executive Director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT); H.E. Terhi Hakala, EU Special Representative for Central Asia; and Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Secretary General.

In her opening remarks Alia El-Yassir, UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, highlighted that the low level of women’s participation in water governance is caused by unequal access of women to education, especially in STEM fields, required for management positions in the water sector.

«Women’s voices are important at all levels of water governance. We can only ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability for all by putting equality, diversity, and inclusion at the center of water policies», Ms. El-Yassir underlined.

The Forum has brought together over 170 representatives from 40 countries, experts, and diverse stakeholders, including the representatives of a National Water and Sanitation Agency of Brazil, Association of Women in Science in the United States of America (president), One Billion Voices Campaign (coordinator), Girls in Science International Platform, scientific and public organizations, civil society, and business entities.

During the forum, held in hybrid format, the participants addressed the issue of a global water shortage and its impact on the lives of women, girls, and their communities. The participants also defined, discussed, and suggested science-based solutions and actions on water resources which would consider women’s needs and demands, and inform further vision for developing water sustainability.

The results of Women Water Forum will be presented at the Second High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028,” a milestone event in the run-up to the UN 2023 Water Conference.

Women Water Forum was hosted by the Committee for Women and Family Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan, UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), with the support of the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), European Union and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

For more information, please contact: Gulnaz Imamniyazova, Communications Analyst, UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Mobile: +992001553223; +7 777 4700443, email: [ Click to reveal ]