Bangladesh Water and Women Network : Challenges and Progress.

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Bangladesh Water and Women Network Challenges
and Progress.

• Dr. Bilqis Amin Hoque
•  

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. Background

• GDI ranks Bangladesh at 140th position/174
  countries.
• Division of labour, distribution of power, and
  responsibilities and rights about access to
  resources and opportunities main constraints
• National Policies encourage women
  participation.
• Gaps between documents and real situations

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Bangladesh Water Vision 2025

• Core Challenges
•   to ensure equal access of both men and women to
  water resources.
• to ensure through effective institutional step
  the participation of women in the planning and
  decision-making process.
• Bangladesh Drinking Water and Sanitation Vision
  2025
•    Provide women with appropriate training and
  knowledge (Drinking water and Sanitation Vision
  2025).

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About BWWN

•          BWWN formed in October,2001
•          Membership drive initiated, October,2001
•          Proposals to UNIFEM and others, October
  2001, March 2002.
•          First Regional WWN Co-ordinator meeting.
  Nepal, October, 2001

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Organized two local workshops

• Scopes for BWWN. December,2001,Pabna.
• Women and Water Issues .April,2002, Jessore
• National Consultation on Bangladeshobjective
  and action plan/launching August 6, 2002  

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Family /HH
Embankment/FCD Projects
Child Care
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REPORTED WOMEN INVOLVEMENT

• Drinking Water 
•          Union committees include women ward
  members.
•          Members mainly allowed in promotional
  activities.
• Contribution raised for new options
  without women involvement
• Communication efforts do not reach women
• Women pump caretakers rarely trained.
• Effective participation model/program yet to be
  seen. 

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Irrigation, Fisheries and other sectors

•          About 30 women members in project
  committees.
•          Members showed remarkable results in
  assigned roles.
•          Women committee members not well
  informed about opportunities
•           Women committee members less regular
  than men at grass level
•          Family commitments and social factors
  not recognised
•          Discouraging incentives
•          Lack of respect and security
•          Women issues still neglected in disaster
  mitigation
• HOW BWWN CAN REACH WOMEN Capacity building
  education and training. Appropriate
  communication materials. Newsletter
  Women and Water Network Committee at District and
  Upzilla

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HOW BWWN CAN REACH WOMEN

• Capacity building education and training
• Appropriate communication materials
• Newsletter
• Women and Water Network Committee at District and
  Upzilla

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• Participation in decision making and
  implementation (BWP and other)
• Appropriate partnership with GO, NGO and other
  stakeholders
• Implementation of existing policies and its
  further development
• Involvement of both professional and grass-root
  women
• Involvement of qualified women
• Recognition of women roles at home and market
• Appropriate models

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Vision of BWWN

• Womens recognition in water resource management
  activities through an organized voice
• Recognition of women involvement.

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Objectives

• Broad objective To promote activities that will
  reduce the gap between national gender policy and
  reality
• Specific objectives
• build capacity of women about effective use of
  water and opportunity in the sector
• create awareness of womens role.
• contribute towards development of appropriate
  policy, political, social, and the sector /
  related sector.

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Contd.

• economical environment
• facilitate womens participation in decision
  making and implementing process.
• Facilitate womens access to water and
  opportunities in the sector / related sector.

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Planned BWWN Activity and Expected Output
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• In addition BWWN will facilitate
• - exploring effective use of SASTEC
  approved 10 GWP fund
• - exploring 50 women participation in
  SAWAF 2, Pakistan

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Thank you