The impacts of water privatization, pollution and wastage as well as the gender sensitivity of international water policy were discussed at an international conference organized by Ecomujer, ver.di, genanet and FIAN held in Berlin from 22-24 February 2008. The conference was attended by 120 representatives from research institutions, trade unions, women’s, environmental and human rights organizations.

Women bear the brunt of water scarcity and disputes over water allocation. Yet the role of women tends to be ignored in policy-making, as Christine Bauhardt of the Humboldt University stressed in her opening presentation. Problems of access to and control over water resources were examined from different perspectives during the conference. Case studies from Peru and Bolivia illustrated the situation Carmen Herrera from Mexico described the impact of water scarcity and pollution on the daily routine of women. The long distances for fetching water do not just increase the risk of violent attacks against women but also hinder their participation in development projects or decision-making processes. Women are further disadvantaged when girls stay away from school due to the lack of sanitary facilities. Juana Vera Delgado from Peru outlined how water privatization marginalizes the rights of the indigenous peoples, especially women. Their active participation could be increased by raising awareness on such issues.

Topics such as the human right to water or the role of agricultural fuels were taken up in workshops. In the closing session the need for further strengthening the network of resistance against all forms of unwarranted water use was underlined. The demand for enshrining the human right to water in national constitutions and mainstreaming gender perspectives in international and national water management concluded the conference. (Christiane Roettger)

The conference programme and all presentations are available at the genanet (centre for gender, environment, sustainability) website:

http://www.genanet.de/download-wasser.html

More information on the conference is also available at: http://www.rosalux.de/cms/index.php?id=14051&type=0&ftu=ca95bd5dde#bericht

 

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, April 2008