Presentation by Barbara Van Koppen at World Water Week 2014 at Gender and Water: an untapped connection.

1. Gender, Water and Development:
Issues for the Future
Panel: From Research to Revolution!
Barbara van Koppen
International Water Management Institute/
Water,Land and Ecosystems

2. Questions
1. What are the main game changers in the future?
Commitment, up to highest levels of resource allocation, and strategic
coordination by women and men
3. How do we frame the research so that it doesn’t fall into the box of
‘that’s a woman’s issue’ and get side-lined?
Keep jumping out of box, for people-centred water development and
management with water technologies to serve instead of control
2. How do we get the research to the people who are going to use it
Ensuring that the research is relevant to the users, plus communication.
 So: How to ensure research relevance?

3. How to ensure research relevance?
 Not alone! Research to facilitate dialogue
 Strategic substance in strategic partnerships, including
civil society
 Example: for Conference ‘Gender, Water and
Development: the untapped connection’ :
AMCOW gender strategy
 Example: gender and poverty: overcoming the silos of
WASH and productive water sectors

4. AMCOW gender strategy
policies
resource
allocation
project design
implementing
research
monitoring/
indicators
strategic
coordination
capacity
building

5. Overcoming silos
for a human right to water for health and livelihoods
 Gender inequality: men’s paid jobs and control over
productive resources versus women’s unpaid care
economy and marginalization
 Amplified in poverty: chores of water fetching and need for
both water-related incomes (anyhow more common in
Africa than elsewhere)
 So BOTH:
• Equal responsibility to meet the human right to water for
domestic uses and sanitation
• Equal, better access to water to meet the human rights to
food, adequate standard of living and participation
 How? Community-driven multiple-use water services

6. Multiple use water services to climb the water ladder:
at least 50 lpcd (5 lpcd safe)

7. Thank you for your attention
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