UNW-DPC / UNDESA Expert Meeting Group on Gender Disaggregated Data in Water and Sanitation
UNW-DPC and UNDESA are jointly organising an Expert Meeting Group on Gender Disaggregated Data in Water and Sanitation, to take place in United Nations Headquarters on 2-3 December 2008. The meeting will bring together up to 25 experts on gender and statistics, and water and sanitation, representing national governments, policy-makers, NGOs, international orgnaisations and women's networks to clarify how to mainstream gender into the water and sanitation sectors through the institutionalization of systematic collection of gender disaggregated data within national and international water and sanitation monitoring systems.
The issue of sanitation received global recognition, for the first time, in 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. There, governments agreed to a specific target to cut the proportion of people without basic sanitation in half by 2015. This complemented the MDG target on safe drinking water. It also served to highlight the role of sanitation in improving human health; reducing infant and child mortality; and improving the situation of women, in terms of both their dignity and security.
Despite their number and their prominent roles and responsibilities in relation to water and sanitation, women often have no voice and no choice in decisions about the kind of services they need or are receiving. Overall, the consideration of women’s needs in planning and management of water and sanitation systems remains limited.
It is against this background that efforts should be made to fully mainstream gender into water and sanitation management and empower women to effectively contribute to decisions that affect their lives as well as benefit the sector. Gender mainstreaming in sanitation and water policies will need robust gender disaggregated data that will also allow global and local monitoring of women access to water and sanitation.
For more information please download the workshop flyer and poster.
©World Bank
It is against this background that efforts should be made to fully mainstream gender into water and sanitation management and empower women to effectively contribute to decisions that affect their lives as well as benefit the sector. Gender mainstreaming in sanitation and water policies will need robust gender disaggregated data that will also allow global and local monitoring of women access to water and sanitation.
For more information please download the workshop flyer and poster.
Copyright © 2009 UNW-DPC