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| Section 1 |
| 01. |
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Introduction
Simi Kamal the South
Asia coordinator of
the Women and Water
Networks Programme
opened the meeting
by welcoming all
participants to the
Second WWN
Coordinators meeting
in Islamabad. The
participants of this
meeting were as
follows |
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WWN
Coordinator South
Asia
Ms Simi Kamal |
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| 02. |
Progress
on Country Situation
Analysis
Most of the countries
reported that they had
done some work on this but
that they had not been
able to put it together in
some meaningful way.
Participants said that
since they did not know
till very late whether the
UNIFEM funding was coming
through or not, they were
not really able to engage
people to carry out a more
systematic situation
analysis.
At this stage Ms Kamal
explained that since a
large part of the proposal
to UNIFEM and the budget
sanctions had been used up
by supporting
participation from
overseas countries it was
likely that the budget
allocations for the
situation analysis would
probably not be
forthcoming, under this
funding. She explained
that she had suggested
support from Gender and
Water Alliance, for this
purpose. |
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| 03. |
Status
of Funding Proposals
Ms Kamal first spoke of
the proposal to UNIFEM,
which had gone in three
different versions over
the last year. She then
handed out copies of the
final proposal that was
agreed to by UNIFEM and
under support from which
people were able to attend
this important conference.
At this stage she said
that she would like to
thank UNIFEM on behalf all
the coordinators for the
opportunity to have this
Second Coordinators
Meeting and also to attend
SAWAF 2.
There was a discussion on
the sums that were to
cater to Country Situation
Analysis, but which had
been reduced from the
original budget. WWN
coordinator from India was
also unhappy about the
fact that for India UNIFEM
was going to prepare
situation analysis itself.
Ms Kamal said that she had
made this point with Ms
Anuradha Chandran and had
suggested that the Indian
situation analysis should
also be prepared by the
Indian WWN coordinators.
Ms Kamal then went on to
describe to the group the
proposal that had been
prepared for WWN South
Asia for submission to the
Gender and Water Alliance
(GWA). This proposal was
being submitted under
their pilot Programme
Schemes. The proposal was
to be considered in
January 2003 and Ms Kamal
said that we had a good
chance of getting some
support from GWA but that
nothing could be
guaranteed until their
steering committee had met
to consider proposals that
had been received from
various countries.
The Gender and Water
Alliance proposal contains
requests for very
substantial support not
only for preparing Country
Situation Analysis but for
also supporting the
country programmes as well
as some funding for WWN
coordinators to meet for
subsequent meetings and
also to attend World Water
Forum 3. |
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| 04. |
High
Travel Costs for
Participants
Ms Kamal then went
back to the issue of the
cost of WWN coordinators
coming for the Second WWN
Coordinators Meeting. She
said that the ticket of
the coordinator from
Nepal, alone which was
$2000, had eaten up
two-thirds of the entire
travel budget.
Coordinators discussed
that this situation was
brought about partly by
the very late ok given to
the budget by UNIFEM,
which meant that the
original programme of the
SASTAC office in India
purchasing tickets for all
coordinators could not
happen. Coordinators were
then asked literally at
the last minute by the
SASTAC office to purchase
their own tickets, which
would be reimbursed in
South Asia Water Forum 2
in Islamabad.
Another problem seems to
have arisen that since
over flights between India
and Pakistan are not
happening many people had
to take detours and take
flights via Dubai which
increased the cost of
these tickets. Ms Kamal
then pointed out that
whereas the entire budget
had not really been worked
through it appeared likely
that the country situation
analysis budgets as well
as some of the allocations
for the launch of country
WWNs will have to be used
up simply to meet the
travel budget. She said
that she would be in touch
with UNIFEM to explain to
them how the situation had
arisen. There was also a
discussion on the fact
since funding had been
requested for country
situation analysis in the
proposal submitted to
Gender and Water Alliance
also, there would be some
support forthcoming to
complete the situation
analysis at a later date. |
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| 05. |
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Progress
of WWNs in Various
South Asian
Countries
Coordinators
took it in turn to
speak briefly about
the activities of
the Women and Water
Networks in each of
their countries. It
was explained that
in Pakistan there
are two chapters
functioning, one
covering the
Northern part of the
country and one the
two Southern
provinces in the
country (Progress of
WWN Pakistan
presented in section
3).
In the same way
India has several
Regional Water
Partnerships which
are doing work on a
regional basis.
There was some
discussion on how
given that India is
a very big country
some support may be
solicited for
actually trying to
meet the travel
expenses of these
regional
coordinators to meet
and exchange views.
Ms Kamal was of the
view that each
Country Water
Partnership was free
to try and raise
funding in their own
countries for their
country activities.
She also explained
that she had been in
touch with CIDA, the
Canadian
International
Development
Organization to see
if there were
possibilities of
raising funds for
WWN South Asia and
that she had been
advised that it
might be easier for
each of the WWNs to
access funds that
had been allocated
to each of these
countries by
development
agencies. The
coordinators agreed
that this was
interesting venue
and that in each
country they would
try to access donors
on their own. |
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| 5.1 |
Progress
in Pakistan
(see Section Three) |
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| 5.2 |
Progress
in Bangladesh
Dr Bilquis
Aminul Hoque gave a
brief on the
Bangladesh Women and
Water Network. (BWWN).
She said that BWWN
started in August
2001 and she was
asked to become the
Coordinator of the
network. Ms. Reba
Paul became and
worked ably as the
Secretary. It was
launched at national
level through a
consultation in
presence of about 80
participants/representatives
from various
government,
non-government and
UN and donor
organizations.
Two preparatory
local workshops and
membership drive
were conducted
between August 2001
and August 2002. The
Coordinator also
attended the first
Coordinator meeting
in Nepal.
The local workshops
were organized with
grass root women.
Main water and women
issues discussed in
the workshops,
identification of
related sub-sectors,
various roles by
women and
expectation from
BWWN. Women
participate in
almost all
water-related
sub-sectors at
various levels and
in different
capacities. But
their participation
and contribution to
the water
sub-sectors are not
recognized. Although
there are many
policies encouraging
women participation,
there is significant
gap between the
documents and
realities.
Newsletter for
common women was one
of the immediate
demands. There was
also demand for
developing and
decentralizing the
network to
grass-root level.
The national
launching/consultation
included opening
ceremony, paper/case
study presentation
and formulation of
vision, objectives
and activity plan.
The activity plan,
originally developed
in line with the
regional plan, was
revised and adopted
in Bangladesh
context. The vision
of BWWN declared:
Women's
recognition’s in
water resource
management through
organized voice. The
first newsletter of
the Network in
English and Bangla
has been published
and a few copies
have been
distributed today. |
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| 5.3 |
Progress
in India
The Women In Water
Network India, is an
evolving network of
recent origin which
aims to bring
together different
stakeholders,
including grassroots
organisations,
researchers, water
professionals,
social scientists,
policy makers and
women's
organisations to
affect a paradigm
shift for the
creation of
alternatives and
reinforce a new
trajectory that
reflects,
articulates and
translates gender
concerns. This
network having its
origin from the
grassroots has been
built on the basis
of the discussion
and consultations
had thereof by the
two regional water
networks that have
been established one
each in North and
South India.
Realising the
importance of
increasing the
outreach of these
networks to include
individuals and
organizations as
well as all
stakeholders, the
South India network
has also initiated
and established
State level networks
which are active in
all the southern
states of India,
namely Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu and
Kerala.
The idea of forming
a national level
Women in Water
Network was
conceptualized
during the two-day
national workshop
held in Bangalore
organised jointly by
the Gender Studies
Unit of the National
Institute of
Advanced Studies and
Women and Water
Network, South India
supported by UNIFEM.
The workshop had
more than 60
participants
representing 14
states as well as
different
stakeholders
comprising of
scientists, water
professionals,
social scientists,
researchers, NGOs,
women’s
organizations as
well as community
leaders.
Presentations were
made and discussed
under the four broad
themes of Gender and
Water, Gender and
Policy, Gender
Issues in Management
of Water and Best
practices. This
national network is
yet to be formalised
and therefore to
facilitate the
process an interim
steering committee,
comprising of nine
members representing
the different
regions in the
country has been
constituted.
Mr Q.I. Siddique
encouraged, guided
and supported in all
ways. Ms Simi Kamal
provided the
necessary regional
support as required.
Ms Mergret (the
Royal Netherland’s
Embassy), Ms. L.
Ekram, Dr Vijaya
Shrestha, Ms Kusum,
Ms Mangla, Ms A.
Sultan, Dr Nilufar,
Ms Sulatana and
members of BWWN are
recognized for their
various roles and
support from the
beginning of the
Network until now.
The national and
local workshops were
funded by UNIFEM. |
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| 5.4 |
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Progress
in Nepal
Jalshrot
Vikash Santha
hosted the
Nepal Water
Partner as
country arm in
2000. As an
activity of
Nepal Water
Partners a
group of women
water
professional
come up with
the vision to
mainstream
women in the
country's
water sector.
Since then WWN
Nepal has been
activated by
its individual
and
institutional
member women
organizations.
The following
is a report of
the activities
undertaken by
WWN Nepal. |
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| 5.4.1 |
Activities
Report
First country
level workshop
on Women and
Water Network
was held in
Kathmandu in
November 2001.
The workshop
then formed a
steering
committee
comprising
five
professional
women from GOs
to NGOs as
members. They
are as
follows: Ms.
Hari Maya
Subba,
Coordinator,
Mangala
Karanjit,
Roshana Shakya,
Renuka Rai and
Shanti
Karmachaya as
members. |
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Nepal
WWN
hosted
the
Regional
Coordinators
Meeting
in
Kathmandu
The
meeting
was held
under
UNIFEM
financial
support
in
December
2001. |
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Nepal
WWN
supported
in the
management
of
SAWAF-1
hosted
by NWP/GWP
in
February
2002 in
Kathmandu.
1 Dr.
Vijaya
Shrestha
chaired
the
session
and Ms.
Roshana
Shakya,
member
Steering
Committee,
presented
a paper
on Women
and
Water. |
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Proposals
requesting
fund was
prepared
and
submitted
to the
donor in
September
2002
along
with
activities
for
2002. |
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Ms.
Mangala
Karanjit,
participated
in
SAWAF-2,
the
Second
WWN
Coordinators’
Meeting
and the
official
launching
ceremony
of
Pakistan
WWN in
December
2002.
Dr. V.
Shrestha,
SASTAC
Member,
addressed
the
ceremonial
launching
program.
UNIFEM
funded
the
participation
of WWN
in
SAWAF-2.
A brief
status
report
was
prepared
for
SAWAF-2. |
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A
sharing
of
experience
meeting
was held
in
January
2003 in
JVS
among
WWN
members/steering
committee
to share
the
experiences
and
report
of
SAWAF-2,
Second
WWN
Coordinators
meeting
and
official
launching
ceremony
of
Pakistan
WWN in
Islamabad. |
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A
Country
status
paper
entitled
"Role
of Women
in
Ground
Water
Management
in
Nepal"
has been
prepared
by Ms.
Mangala
Karanjit
and
submitted
to the
subject
coordinator.
The
paper
was
planned
to
synthesize
as South
Asia
Regional
Status
and
presented
in WWF
-3 |
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Contribution
was made
to
finalize
the
South
Asia
Statement
for
WWF3. |
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Nepal
WWN
Membership
at
individual
and
institutional
membership
drive is
initiated
and
continued. |
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WWN
participated
in
Annual
General
Body
Meeting
of NWP. |
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Steering
Committee
meetings
are held
regularly
and new
arrangement
have
been
made to
activate
the WWN.
The
position
of
alternative
Coordinator
has been
nominated
to
facilitate
the
network's
activities
in
absence
of the
Coordinator. |
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| 5.4.2 |
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Activities
Planned
for 2003
Set
programs
for year
2002 has
not been
accomplished
as
planned
due to
the
constraint
in
mobilizing
necessary
funds.
WWN
members
are
motivated
to
mobilize
Nepal
WWN
activities
and
keeps
concerns.
Therefore
some of
the
programs
are
being
organized
with the
coordination
of other
existing
Women
Organizations.
A multi
lingual
literary
symposium
on the
theme
"Women
and
Water"
in
coordination
with
Nepalbhasa
Women
Association,
Institutional
Member
of WWN
is being
organized
to
celebrate
March 8,
March 15
and
March 21
and 221.
Community
awareness
program
on SODIS
(solar
disinfecting)
system
in
adjacent
rural
part of
Kathmandu
Valley
will be
launched
to
assure
the
water
quality
maintained
at
domestic
level.
The
following
are the
list of
activities
planned: |
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Organize
awareness
campaign,
training,
and
orientation
programs
&
Information
Sharing-on
IWRM,
GWP, NWP
and WWN
and its
functions. |
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Completing
the
forms
distributed
by GWP/SASTAC
and
circulates
more to
others
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