“In poor regions, the responsibility to fetch water is with women. They also have to make sure to have clean water for their children, to have a healthy life”, says Dr. Schaefer-Preuss.
GWP launched a Gender Strategy last year - which addresses diversity and inclusion, and highlights women's role in the integrated and sustainable management of water resources. Since then, GWP has undertaken a number of initiatives to empower women and girls in water management around the world – some examples are listed here.
International Women’s Day highlights the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which is a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago. This document outlines an agenda for realizing women’s rights, but there are still many gaps in fulfilling this agenda. The day is also a way to highlight what still needs to be done.
International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on March 8th in many different ways. For instance, UN-Women has announced a march for gender equality in New York, and on their homepage they have listed relevant links to all the coverage of the day on different platforms and social media.