Women should be included in leadership positions to support gender equity in the development and management of water resources in the Orange-Senqu River Basin.
This message was echoed at the Validation Workshop of the Women In Water Diplomacy workshop of the Orange-Senqou river basin, held in Gaborone. Attendants gathered to partake in the knowledge exchange and validation of the guiding framework for Women in Water Diplomacy Network for the Orange-Senqu River Basin.
The Women in Water Diplomacy Network is a community of practice comprised of both formal and informal women decision-makers and experts representing a wealth of collective experience and expertise in transboundary water management and decision-making. The workshop was aimed at enhancing the collective capacity of women throughout the basin and to support the engagement of women water leaders in decision making and peace building processes.
The Guiding Framework, which has been developed by extensive consultations in all the four member states of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa is aimed at creating an enabling sustainable environment that provides tools for establishing the Women in Water Diplomacy Network (WWDN) in ORASECOM. The intention is to promote and ensure that gender equality is entrenched in all levels of the river basin organisation, as well as in all organisations and projects being implemented by the four member states.
Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kekgonne Baipoledi, emphasised that the Framework is a product of several consultative processes initiated in 2022 by ORASECOM with Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), exploring possibilities of establishing the WWDN in southern Africa based on the already functional Woman in Water Diplomacy Network in the Nile Basin and Central Asia and Afghanistan.
“As we all know, water is the most limiting factor when it comes to socio-economic growth, the aim of this network is to enhance the collective capacity of women throughout the basin and to support the engagement of women water leaders in decision making and peace building processes,” he said.
Botswana held the Regional Stakeholder workshop in October 2023 in Gaborone, where objectives were discussed based on the four member countries. The Regional Stakeholder Workshop aimed at: strengthening the concept of water diplomacy and empowering a wide variety of actors involved, to bring regional stakeholders to collectively share their experiences as they embark on the establishment of Women in Water Diplomacy in the Orange-Senqu Basin, among other reasons.
Acting ORASECOM Executive Secretary, Rapule Pule shared that between 2004 and 2007, under the first phase of GIZ’s support to ORASECOM, data on gender section was collated into one basin wide report, tiled “Demographic and Economic Activity in the four Orange Basin States” which was numbered 'ORASECOM 008/2007;.
“Between 2013 and 2015, under the third phase of GIZ’s support to ORASECOM, a gender mainstreaming strategy for the Basin was developed. The ORASECOM Gender Strategy identified six Strategic Initiatives for addressing gender, with one on SI1: Securing high-level commitment to gender equality,” he shared.
He noted that SI2 focuses on Strengthening linkages with the GFPs in the Department of Water; while SI3 on improving sectoral coordination in WRM and SI4 o. Promoting meaningful stakeholder participation while SI5 is about Improving the collection and dissemination of gender disaggregated data; and SI6: about Capacity Strengthening and awareness.
“The GM strategy was then included in the ten-year (2015-2024) Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan, under one of the two cross-cutting strategic objectives of the IWRM Plan i.e., strategic objective number 11. As identified in September 2014 ORASECOM GM strategy, the 2015 IWRM plan speaks to the need for equitable allocation of benefits and socio-economic upliftment, which inherently promote gender equality,” he said.
An expert panel discussion on the topic ‘Building trust in negotiations for enhanced transboundary cooperation’ allowed all the four member states to share their opinions on this matter.
Dr Zodwa Dlamini from the International Women in Water Diplomacy Network Leadership Council said this is about countries understanding each other’s demands when it comes to water and electricity currently and in the future.
Technical Advisor at GIZ Transboundary Water Management, Mahlalele Setlhako said it means open dialogues regarding the water basin and building trust to work together.
Lecturer at University of Botswana, Dr Bothepha Mosetlhi reiterated that this calls for all the member states to be open about their needs in order to be able to reach a common goal. She highlighted that women used to be the ones who collected water in the past and understood about quality and quantity of water which best places them in leadership positions in water management.
This message was echoed at the Validation Workshop of the Women In Water Diplomacy workshop of the Orange-Senqou river basin, held in Gaborone. Attendants gathered to partake in the knowledge exchange and validation of the guiding framework for Women in Water Diplomacy Network for the Orange-Senqu River Basin.
The Women in Water Diplomacy Network is a community of practice comprised of both formal and informal women decision-makers and experts representing a wealth of collective experience and expertise in transboundary water management and decision-making. The workshop was aimed at enhancing the collective capacity of women throughout the basin and to support the engagement of women water leaders in decision making and peace building processes.
The Guiding Framework, which has been developed by extensive consultations in all the four member states of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa is aimed at creating an enabling sustainable environment that provides tools for establishing the Women in Water Diplomacy Network (WWDN) in ORASECOM. The intention is to promote and ensure that gender equality is entrenched in all levels of the river basin organisation, as well as in all organisations and projects being implemented by the four member states.
Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kekgonne Baipoledi, emphasised that the Framework is a product of several consultative processes initiated in 2022 by ORASECOM with Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), exploring possibilities of establishing the WWDN in southern Africa based on the already functional Woman in Water Diplomacy Network in the Nile Basin and Central Asia and Afghanistan.
“As we all know, water is the most limiting factor when it comes to socio-economic growth, the aim of this network is to enhance the collective capacity of women throughout the basin and to support the engagement of women water leaders in decision making and peace building processes,” he said.
Botswana held the Regional Stakeholder workshop in October 2023 in Gaborone, where objectives were discussed based on the four member countries. The Regional Stakeholder Workshop aimed at: strengthening the concept of water diplomacy and empowering a wide variety of actors involved, to bring regional stakeholders to collectively share their experiences as they embark on the establishment of Women in Water Diplomacy in the Orange-Senqu Basin, among other reasons.
Acting ORASECOM Executive Secretary, Rapule Pule shared that between 2004 and 2007, under the first phase of GIZ’s support to ORASECOM, data on gender section was collated into one basin wide report, tiled “Demographic and Economic Activity in the four Orange Basin States” which was numbered 'ORASECOM 008/2007;.
“Between 2013 and 2015, under the third phase of GIZ’s support to ORASECOM, a gender mainstreaming strategy for the Basin was developed. The ORASECOM Gender Strategy identified six Strategic Initiatives for addressing gender, with one on SI1: Securing high-level commitment to gender equality,” he shared.
He noted that SI2 focuses on Strengthening linkages with the GFPs in the Department of Water; while SI3 on improving sectoral coordination in WRM and SI4 o. Promoting meaningful stakeholder participation while SI5 is about Improving the collection and dissemination of gender disaggregated data; and SI6: about Capacity Strengthening and awareness.
“The GM strategy was then included in the ten-year (2015-2024) Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan, under one of the two cross-cutting strategic objectives of the IWRM Plan i.e., strategic objective number 11. As identified in September 2014 ORASECOM GM strategy, the 2015 IWRM plan speaks to the need for equitable allocation of benefits and socio-economic upliftment, which inherently promote gender equality,” he said.
An expert panel discussion on the topic ‘Building trust in negotiations for enhanced transboundary cooperation’ allowed all the four member states to share their opinions on this matter.
Dr Zodwa Dlamini from the International Women in Water Diplomacy Network Leadership Council said this is about countries understanding each other’s demands when it comes to water and electricity currently and in the future.
Technical Advisor at GIZ Transboundary Water Management, Mahlalele Setlhako said it means open dialogues regarding the water basin and building trust to work together.
Lecturer at University of Botswana, Dr Bothepha Mosetlhi reiterated that this calls for all the member states to be open about their needs in order to be able to reach a common goal. She highlighted that women used to be the ones who collected water in the past and understood about quality and quantity of water which best places them in leadership positions in water management.
