International Women's Day: Breaking the bias
A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination is the theme of this year's International Women'sDay (8 March). A much needed callfor attention everywhere, butalso in particular in the water management sector, and more specifically in transboundary waters.
ϲʿֱֳ partnered with the Geneva Graduate Instituteon establishing links between a gender responsive approach, transboundary water cooperation and blue peace, based on theϲʿֱֳBuilding River Dialogue and Governance(BRIDGE) project work.
The research titled 'Towards an Intersectional Blue Peace - Gender in Shared Waters',focused on practical recommendationsbased on findings collected from interviews with experts, academics and policy-makers.
“Our project seeks to go beyond simply counting women in, but ratherwe propose the use of an intersectional and gender-transformative framework as the most effective way of governing transboundary waters”, explained the research students.
The recommendations suggesta simultaneous top-down and bottom-up approach, including:
- establishingan inclusive intersectional participatory mechanism;
- ensuringparticipatory platforms serve the interests of minority groups;
- reforming current frameworks to be more accessible to vulnerable communities;
- advocatingfor financial support that ensures long-term commitments;
- investing in critical analysis of gender-aggregated data;
- reshapingthe language used to talk about gender and women
Blue Peace is a global movement that highlights initiatives on water, peace, security and cooperation. The movement gathers numerous actions undertaken by different actors (academia, culture, political and diplomatic actions, civil society and the private sector) and at different levels (from local to global).The Blue Peace movement is aninitiative supported by the.
The gender in transboundary basins research was conducted by master students Aloïs Aguettant, Mathilde Bolduc, Samantha Elaine Groulx and Jungsoo Lee, aspart of the Applied Research Capstone scheme. The schemebrings togethergroups of students from the with partners from diverse sectors of International Geneva to conduct innovative research that addresses globalchallenges, including women's rights and equality.
has occurred for over a century with the first gathering held in 1911. The day belongs to all groups collectively and globally. According to the , gender parity will not be attained for almost a century. “There is urgent work to be done and we can all play a part. Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists is not enough, action is needed to level the playing field”, said Claire Warmenbol, ϲʿֱֳ Communications and Partnership Manager for the ϲʿֱֳ Water and Land Management Team.
On 8 March, theϲʿֱֳ Human Rights in Conservation Team also produceda visual story '', drawing attention to the women and girls, who are among the mostmarginalised and impacted as they are often left out of policies, solutions and practices,despite the crucial knowledge and experience they contribute. Yet, there is also progress and strides to mark and celebrate.
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive,where difference is valued and respected, is a key tenet of International Women's Day, collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.