Stronger Together! Guide for Meaningful Participation

It’s not enough to have women present, women should meaningfully contribute!

Committed to advancing gender equality for professional women working on water resources and WASH systems, the Stronger Together! Coalition is pleased to offer this Guide–a compilation of resources to support both women professionals and organizers (from managers to staff) wanting to create more inclusive conferences, panels, and meetings.

The resources in this “guide” have been curated by the women’s networks within the Stronger Together! Coalition.

Resources for Women Professionals

Whether you are preparing to attend your first conference or looking for ways to more meaningfully contribute in your daily work, the resources below, curated by the women’s networks within Stronger Together!, will provide you with some great starting points.

• WWDN Special Event–International Women’s Day 2025
  The two-hour session has speakers sharing key challenges and opportunities covering a range of intersectional issues including gender inclusion, Indigenous knowledge systems, intergenerational mentorship, and global water diplomacy challenges, with many also sharing reflections on their personal and professional journeys within the water sector. *WWDN created resource
• Global Directory of Women’s Conferences
  If you are interested in attending a global women’s events, check out this list. *AWSPN curated resource
• What to Wear to a Conference: the Ultimate Guide
  This blog covers considerations for both women and men even to the type of role you have at the conference and your industry. *CWiW curated resource
• Business travel abroad: complete guide
  This blog by business travel agents provides good tips for business travel from work trips to conferences. *AWSPN curated resource
• How to Handle Competing Priorities
  While this is a day-to-day skill, it is also needed at conferences. This quick blog read can help you think about how to make the best decisions. *AWSPN curated resource
• Being the Only Woman in the Room
  This blog offers strategies when you find you are the only woman in a room. *AWSPN curated resource
• How to make connecting and networking work for you, a CWiW Learn and Share with Dr. Liza Debevec
  In this 12-min recording, Dr. Liza Debevec discusses different ways to network and reach out to make connections. *CWiW created resource
• Introduction to Networking & Informational Interviewing
  This blog takes you through some simple networking steps to get you ready for a conference or a networking event. *AWSPN curated resource
• How to build your confidence — and spark it in others 
  This 13-minute video will help you build your confidence. *AWSPN curated resource
• Elevating Women’s Leadership for Effective Transboundary Water Cooperation
  This recording of a WWDN event showcases insights and expertise by women diplomats who work on transboundary cooperation. *WWDN created resource
• Beneath the Surface (podcast)
  This podcast is focused on Britain but provides excellent insights for how the water and sanitation sector can be more inclusive in a range of ways, including on gender equality. Useful for managers and employees alike. *CWiW curated resource
• Slides from Safety and Sovereignity
  These slides from the 2nd webinar in the Meaningful Participation series give an overview of the types of challenges women in particular face when attending conferences and what steps to take.
• Safety and Sovereignty: Addressing Gender-Based Realities
  This recording with a presentation and two panels examines gender-based realities everyone should be aware of when it comes to conferences. *2nd in Stronger Together! Meaningful Participation series*
• Slides from Building Your Blueprint
  These slides from the first webinar for the Meaningful Participation series give an overview of the UN 2026 Water Conference and guidance on how to plan to attend any conference.
• Building Your Blueprint: Knowing Processes & Logistics
  This recording covers details on the UN 2026 Water Conference and tips for planning to attend any conference. *1st in Stronger Together! Meaningful Participation series*

Resources for Conference Organizers

Often conference organizers want to know how they can be more inclusive but they aren’t sure how to. This section is for anyone organizing anything from a conference to a panel to an away day that wants to ensure that everyone feels included and heard.

• Freedom of Expression and Participation in Digital Spaces
  This UN Women Expert Group paper explores and explains the challenges genders can face in online spaces and can help organizers think about what would provide the support needed. *WfWP curated resource
• Toward Gender-Equal Peace: From ‘counting women’ to meaningful participation
  The Oslo Forum Peacewriter Prize 2021, this report examines how women are excluded from the preparations and the negotiations of official peace processes. *WfWP curated resource
• (Dis)connected? Women’s agency and meaningful participation in the digital space
  For those who want to delve more into what inclusion for women looks like in digital formats, this research article is valuable. *WfWP curated resource
• Gender-Responsive Training Methods: A Guidance Note
  This guidance note from the World Bank and partners identifies ways that trainers–and others engaging groups either in-person or virtually–can be responsive to diverse gender needs. *WfWP curated resource
• Women at Professional Events
  This blog post by Change in Content explores what barriers women face at conferences and what changes need to be made to overcome the barriers. *AWSPN curated resource
• Addressing Gender-Based Discrimination and Violence in the Workplace
  This Gender Study report offers a realistic picture of the issue (backed by data) and so strategies for safer environments. *AWSPN curated resource
• Reflect’s Inclusive protocols
  When thinking beyond conferences, this are inclusive protocols for events but also field research and research. *CWiW resource
• How to Organise Inclusive Conferences and Workshops
  This book shares practical suggestions and guidelines to make events more inclusive based on insights from experts around the world. *CWiW curated resource
• The Importance of Male Involvement in Accelerating Gender Equality
  This report from Barnett Waddingham and Men for Inclusion is an excellent resource describing why having men championing gender equality is important. *CWiW curated resource
• A Sample Inclusion Calendar
  This guide from Men for Inclusion shows small daily actions in a 2025 calendar leaders can do without a budget to make their team more inclusive. *CWiW curated resource
• Best Practice Guide: Developing Inclusive Conferences
  This guide for organizers of conferences gives fantastic tips on how to be more inclusive. These tips are also useful for meetings and panels. *CWiW-proposed resource
• Beneath the Surface (podcast)
  This podcast is focused on Britain but provides excellent insights for how the water and sanitation sector can be more inclusive in a range of ways, including on gender equality. Useful for managers and employees alike. *CWiW curated resource
• Slides from Safety and Sovereignity
  These slides from the 2nd webinar in the Meaningful Participation series give an overview of the types of challenges women in particular face when attending conferences and what steps to take.
• Safety and Sovereignty: Addressing Gender-Based Realities
  This recording with a presentation and two panels examines gender-based realities everyone should be aware of when it comes to conferences. *2nd in Stronger Together! Meaningful Participation series*

Click on each logo below to learn more about Stronger Together! women’s networks