A two-day international workshop on gender Issues in Water Management in Developing Countries and Sustainable Development began at JSS Medical College in Mysuru on Tuesday with Pro-Chancellor of JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER) B. Suresh hoping that the exercise will provide solutions to the issues faced by women and pave the way for women-friendly water policies.
During his remarks at the inaugural event of the workshop, which is being held offline as well as virtual mode, Dr. Suresh pointed out that girls and women shouldered the primary responsibility of fetching water for families. Women in many parts of the world walk long distances for new sources of uncontaminated water for their domestic requirements that includes cooking and cleaning.
While emphasising the role of women in execution and implementation of water and sanitation development goals, he hoped that the experts participating in the workshop from different parts of the globe will help find solutions to challenges faced by women.
A note shared during the programme pointed out that billions of people in rural and urban communities across the world face difficulties in accessing clean and safe water resources. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that more than five billion people may live in prolonged water shortage and water-stressed areas in 2025 and that the situation may worsen in many developing countries.
According to UN-Water, in many countries, the presence of safe and sufficient water supply and improved sanitation facilities has a disproportionate effect on the lives of women and girls, the note said. The lack of adequate access to water particularly affects them because of their specific needs for personal hygiene.
More than 50 experts and 200 participants from about 50 Non Aligned Movement (NAM) countries working in water science, environment, socio-economic sectors, and gender studies as well as members of planning and policy groups would be attending the two-day workshop. Participants in the workshop come from countries like Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Egypt, South Africa, Malaysia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Morocco besides India.
The recommendations for the policy actions emerging from the workshop are expected to implemented by the NAM countries, a statement issued by the organisers said.
Director General of Centre for Science and Technology of Non Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) Amitava Bandopadhyay, who was the chief guest for the programme, highlighted the need for co-operation in science and technology for collective self-reliance of developing countries with special focus on sustainable development goals.
The workshop is being jointly organised by JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru, in partnership with Centre for Science and Technology of Non Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) and Scientific Committee on Problems of Environment (SCOPE), Amstelveen, The Netherlands.
