You’re Rocking the Boat! Challenging Gender Norms in Water Work


Community of Women in Water, Global Water Partnership, and International Water Management Institute are pleased to host this public event You’re Rocking the Boat!–Challenging Gender Norms in Water Work.

Gender expectations can hinder everyone from doing their work efficiently and effectively. Yet, challenging those gender norms can feel like standing up in a precariously small rowboat. What does ‘rocking’ the boat look like and how can it be done with positive results in the water sector? This event will bring water experts and colleagues together to discuss these questions. Starting out with a keynote and panel discussion, the event will continue into small group breakouts to delve into people’s experiences, questions, and insights. 

To make this event truly global, we will be offering translation in French and Spanish. Additionally, there will be a breakout room for each of these languages in the final half hour.

Speakers include: 

Introduction– Jaehyang So, Chair, Global Water Partnership Technical Committee; Strategy and Partnerships, Global Center on Adaptation

Keynote Speaker—Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Chief of the Economic Empowerment section, UN Women

Panelist—Dr. Youssef Brouziyne , Regional Representative, IWMI Middle East and North Africa

Panelist—Alana Potter, International Coordinator, End Water Poverty

Moderator –Kathryn Pharr, Founder, Community of Women in Water

Closing—Dr. Liza Debevec,  Senior Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist, Global Water Partnership

The final half hour of the event will allow participants to breakout into small groups to have meaningful discussions about what has been shared during the keynote and panel discussion.

 

 

Speaker details

Dr. Jemimah Njuki is the Chief of the Economic Empowerment section at UN Women. She is a recognized leader on gender equality and women’s empowerment, having directed global initiatives promoting women’s economic empowerment. Jemimah’s work on gender equality includes being Director For Africa at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); leading the UN Food Systems Summit’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Lever of Change; and designing key programmes for women at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), CARE USA, and the International Livestock Research Institute.

Alana Potter is the International Coordinator for End Water Poverty, a global civil society coalition that mobilises, advocates and acts to realise water and sanitation rights. Since 1996, she has worked closely with social movements and CSOs, human rights bodies, and governments in different African countries in equitable and sustainable water and sanitation services, adequate social housing, decent work in the informal economy and the right to freedom of assembly and expression. She brings over twenty-five years’ experience of leading innovative inter-sectoral research, advocacy, and technical support.

Dr. Youssef Brouziyne is the International Water Management Institute’s (IWMI) Country Representative – Egypt, and Regional Representative & Water System Lead– Middle East and North Africa. Specific attention is given to the gender aspects of IWMI’s MENA projects because of its critical importance for the resilience and the development in the region. Youssef brings over twelve years experience in agronomic excellence, resilience building, and Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility across the agricultural value chains in North Africa, West Africa, and Southern Europe and was recently a professor and researcher at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University examining climate change, agriculture and water resources.