Parallel and Side Events Contents Page

Launching of the women's action agenda for a healthy and peaceful planet 2015

Presented by the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and Rede de Desenvolvimento Humano (REDEH)

Thais Corral, REDEH, explained that the revised Women's Action Agenda 21 (WAA 21), Women's Action Agenda for a Healthy and Peaceful Planet 2015 (WAA), focuses on: peace and human rights; globalization for sustainability; access and control of resources; environmental security and health; and governance for sustainable development.

AnneKathrin Linck, Heinrich Böll Foundation, highlighted the need for gender sensitive sustainable development.

Manto Tshabalala, South African Minister of Health, noted that women are disadvantaged in terms of education, income, status and health. She stressed the need for empowerment of women.

Rachel Kyte, the World Bank, stressed that women were responsible for underscoring the links between environment and health, human rights and population at the international level. She noted the need for accountability and to introduce the WAA to places where women are under-represented.

Brownie Ledbetter, WEDO, noted that the WAA 21 is a blueprint for action and highlighted the importance of mobilizing women in the United States to promote linkages between US and international policies.

A grassroots academy on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Presented by UNDP and the Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS)

Sandy Schilen, GROOTS, noted the importance of community involvement in global decision-making, and stressed the need for doubling efforts to achieve sustainable development and gender equality.

Mark Malloch Brown, UNDP, highlighted the significance of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG). He stressed the need for developing countries' priority setting, and called upon developed countries to support their implementation by: providing funds; promoting trade reforms; and encouraging foreign investment. He introduced a new monitoring system to assess progress in the implementation of the MDG, and underscored the need for adopting a different approach to development in order to achieve the MDG by 2015.

Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT), highlighted poor people as an asset and not a problem. She underscored the importance of secure land tenure, and called for capacity building to enable good urban governance, and to ensure the involvement of women in decision-making.

Sheela Patel, Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres, called for acknowledgement of poor peoples' right to participate in negotiations. She explained a community-driven campaign for secure land tenure supported by UN-HABITAT, and called for a more equal playing field in development investment.

Solome Mukisa, Forum for Women in Democracy, stated that governments must work with communities to ensure achievement of goals, and explained a project that mobilizes women to take action in decision-making processes.

Marcial Arias, International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, highlighted the capacities of indigenous peoples, underscored indigenous land rights, and advocated community-specific solutions.

Discussion: Participants addressed: empowerment of women; implementation of MDG through strategic partnerships; and provision of direct funding to communities.

Women and water, sanitation and hygiene for all

Presented by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Eirah Gorre-Dale, WSSCC, stated that the event focused on women’s role as care givers, providers, educators, and managers of safe water, sanitation and hygiene. She said that the WSSCC aims to accelerate the progress towards safe water, hygiene, and sanitation for all, by stimulating actions by governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and the private sector. She introduced the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for all (WASH) campaign.

Richard Jolly, WSSCC, called for a shift from global focus to national implementation, and stressed that clean water is necessary to protect human health and the environment.

Nane Annan stressed that access to water and sanitation is a community concern, especially for children and women. Noting that hygiene can reduce water related diseases by 33%, she highlighted the need for high-level political commitment and community ownership and management.

Anne Perterson, US Agency for International Development, stressed the central role of women in African families. She noted the US’ commitment to the WASH campaign.

Sonjica Buyelwa, South Africa, expressed concern over the controversy related to access to water during the WSSD. Noting that seven million people in South Africa do not have adequate access to sanitation, she emphasized that access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right. She stressed that the WASH campaign in South Africa is based on a multi-stakeholder partnership, and called for improvement of women’s technical education and capacity to participate in the decision-making processes related to water.

Gugu Moloi, Umgeni, stressed the need for women’s involvement in: service delivery mechanisms; management; shaping future water policies and legislation; and identifying appropriate technologies. Describing Umgeni’s ongoing activities, she called for job creation at the local level, education, activism, and partnerships.

Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment, introduced an EU-initiated partnership aimed at improving access to water and sanitation.

Maria Mutagamba, Ugandan Minister of State for Water, introduced Uganda’s WASH activities, and stressed the need for participation of women in decision-making at the local level.

Kul Gautaum, UNICEF, highlighted the link between lack of access to water and poverty. He stressed the role of women and girls in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty, and noted the role of schools and education.

Ronnie Kasrils, South African Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, explained the need to move from words to action, and identified ways of motivating people. He emphasized the importance of developing networks for awareness-raising.

Discussions: Participants discussed, inter alia: concerns over the privatization of water utilities; access to water in urban areas; joining the WASH campaign; and the need for a shift from defence priorities to providing basic utilities.