Water en Vrouwen

Het is 12 maart, maar nog niet te laat om de aandacht te vragen voor de 8 maart boodschap van de Women for Water Partnership.

Siegmien Staphorst

In Suriname is de Nationale Vrouwen Beweging deel van dit internationaal samenwerkingsverband, en Siegmien Staphorst, oud directeur van de NVB is besuurslid van het WfWP. Deze netwerkorganisatie zet zich in voor schoon drinkwater en sanitatie, maar vooral ook voor de empowerment van vrouwen: en empowerment begint met het zorgen voor de basisvoorzieningen, zoals voedsel en water.  Maar het WWP wil vooral dat de stem van vrouwen telt in de besluitvorming.

Sta er even stil bij wat het betekent als je geen directe toegang hebt tot veilig drinkwater. En wie er dan voor moet zorgen dat er wel water is voor het gezin: om te koken, te drinken, te baden.

8 maart boodschap van  Women for Water Partnership 

Today, we celebrate the International Women’s Day Centenary 1911 – 2011. Hundred years ago, over a million women rallied for women’s right to vote, to work and for education. Currently, our sisters in the Arab world march for peace and democracy in their countries. Our thoughts and our support are with them on this day.

After a century of effort, we witness great improvements, but gender equality has unfortunately not been realized to date. We commend the millions of women and men in the world that continue the struggle for equal rights and opportunities and that each contribute in their own way, from grassroots to international level.

Empowerment starts with provision of (wo)men’s basic needs.And with acknowledging and supporting the vital contributions of women and their organizations. “If women in rural areas had the same access to land, technology, financial services, education and markets as men, agricultural production could be increased and the number of hungry people reduced by 100-150 million, FAO states in its 2010-11

edition of The State of Food and Agriculture report.”

In this 21st century, millions of women worldwide lack access to adequate water and sanitation and have insufficient means to feed themselves and their families, severely hampering their ability to contribute to development and preventing them to fully participate in public life.

In the Women for Water Partnership, women’s organizations from all over the world join forces to help women to help themselves. We give women a voice, facilitate their participation in the management, provision and safeguarding of water and sanitation,and in coping with the challenges of climate change.

Through ensuring women’s participation at the lowest appropriate level, we contribute to effective water governance an at the same time provide a base for women’s empowerment, unleashing the joint strength and capacity of women as development agents.

We call upon the water and development sectors to be inclusive in their approach, hence practicing the very principles of good governance.

We urge them to acknowledge the role of the Major Group Women and to support women’s organizations in their work. We call upon policy and decision makers to set aside sufficient funds for women’s organization to organize and facilitate women’s participation in water governance and development in general.

If you support women’ cause, kindly pass on this message and think of 1 concrete thing to do for us.

- Spread the message to decision makers at national and international levels - Include WfWP or its member organizations in your work and/or support their projects (www.womenforwater.org)

- and make sure it is about women's participation (not just about gender mainstreaming)