Water equity puts women at the center, as lack of safe and accessible water deepens inequality and limits opportunities
On the occasion of the World Water Day 2026, Green Terre Foundation of India, a Pune-based non-government organisation (NGO), in association with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), hosted Global Online Forum on Water and Gender Equality, a platform highlighting women’s central role in water equity, promoting gender-sensitive water governance and skilling university youth to address global water challenges.
In a press statement, Green Terre Foundation says that at the meeting, held online, the forum featured a perfectly gender-balanced panel of four practitioners from India, China, Burkina Faso, and Peru, blending academic rigour, field-tested solutions and international commitment.
“Water equity is a matter of justice, respect and development and women are at its centre. When water is distant, unsafe or scarce, inequalities deepen, especially for women, who bear the burden of water collection and lost education. And for the world it is a lost opportunity,” said Prof Maïmouna Bologo Traoré, Head of Social Sciences at the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Burkina Faso and Chair of the forum’s gender committee.
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Rajendra Shende
The event led by Rajendra Shende, Founder, Green Terre Foundation’s Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN) and former Director of UNEP’s OzonAction Programme, emphasised training university students to tackle the critical global issues of water management and gender equality.
According to the statement, under the theme When Water Flows, Equity Grows, the participants noted that water was more than a natural resource, it formed the basis of life, dignity and equality. In the current global scenario, the forum stressed that achieving sustainable and inclusive water governance required collective effort, knowledge sharing and international cooperation.
The organisers add that safeguarding water sources, ecosystems, and territories depends on collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders, including indigenous communities, governments, local authorities, NGOs and multilateral organisations, with university students and youth playing a key role in driving change.
Bhanu Neupane
The discussion also highlighted the women’s vital role in water management, resource protection, education, health and community resilience. Water was depicted as a unifying force that connects many aspects of life, yet for millions, access remains limited, contaminated, or unreliable. These challenges reflect persistent inequalities, particularly gender-based, that prevent many from living with dignity and opportunity.
Referencing the UN World Water Development Report 2026, Bhanu Neupane, Water Expert at UNESCO, emphasised that promoting gender equality was key to sustainable water management.
“Bringing water closer to households will not only enhance the opportunities of women’s meaningful participation in water governance but would also expand their roles in technology and leadership positions within the water sector,” said Neupane.
The statement adds that Nicole Bernex from the Global Water Partnership shared lessons from Latin America, highlighting that water is essential for life and human dignity.
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“Taking Amazon as an example, where illegal mining threatens water, hitting women and Indigenous communities the hardest, causing problems like less water, food shortages, diseases and disrupted education. Small steps involving students and teachers in community projects can help water flow and equality grow, with SCCN helping young people in the Peruvian Amazon learn about the environment,” said Bernex.
From China, Zhang Yingxia, CEO, Water Industry Internet Portal, explained the country’s water challenges due to limited resources and high demand. China has improved water supply, wastewater treatment, and recycling, using smart solutions like “sponge cities” and desalination, while making sure women and all community members are involved in water management.
The statement further adds the forum also focussed on the SCCN, connecting over 550 universities in 16 countries to train students as Water-Gender Nexus Practitioners.