The annual report recaps major achievements of GWP West Africa during the year 2016. It highlights main results and gives trends for the next steps on activities, programmes, projects and initiatives.

The gender gap in the water sector is a significant challenge both internationally and regionally as those involved in development strategies tend to have many years of experience, traditionally associated with more established male role players. Bridging this gap is a means of ensuring that both genders, and the youth are part of the process of designing and shaping the future they inherit. Addressing this means providing shared ownership and capacity with respects to the global water challenges. Drawing on the global theme for this year: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa partners reflect on some initiatives in the region that have narrowed the gender gap in the water sector, and provide perspectives aimed at contributing to more effective gender mainstreaming in the water sector.

Women hold up half the sky, quote from MAO Zedong in the 1950s, the core figure of New China's first generation leadership. From then on, China has always worked out development plans and pressed forward with gender equality and women’s development.

“Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality” is the global theme for International Women’s Day 2017. It asks governments to make national commitments to address the challenges that are holding women and girls back from reaching their full potential.

On the occasion of the 2017 International Women’s Day, and drawing on the global theme for this year: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, GWP-Med has asked women water champions from the Mediterranean water community to reflect on: How can the water sector step it up for gender equality?

8 March marks International Women’s Day (IWD). The global theme this year is “Planet 50-50: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. It asks governments to make commitments to address the challenges that are holding women and girls back from reaching their full potential.

Drawing on the global theme for this year: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, we have asked women in the water community to answer the question: How can the water sector step it up for gender equality?

“Action on water is an absolute and ethical imperative…Acting now is a matter of human dignity, justice, and survival. Waiting to act is no longer an option.” This was one of the strong messages of the Budapest Water Summit 2016, which took place 28-30 November in Budapest, Hungary. GWP global and GWP Central and Eastern Europe joined forces to represent the network at the event.

The 2nd Regional Conference of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) labelled project “Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector” was organised on 5-6 December 2016, in Tunis, Tunisia, by the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in close collaboration with the H2020 Pollution Reduction & Prevention Investment Group (PRPI) & National Action Plan process. It convened more than 110 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors and financing institutions and the private sector.

“Water, gender and development are closely interconnected, and GWP realizes this fully. We think that water empowers women, and empowered women transform their societies.” These are the words of GWP Interim Chair Alice Bouman-Dentener on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2016 (#IWD2016). Alongside her, some of the remarkable women in the GWP network speak up - about their journey to become successful in their professions, how to overcome obstacles they face as women, and also recommendations to other women.