About

GWP’s VISION is a water secure world. Our MISSION is to advance governance and management of water resources for sustainable and equitable development.

OUR UNIQUE VALUE: GWP mobilises action on the global water crisis through a unique combination of social capital, shared values, credibility within the global water community, bottom-up orientation, and expertise. A network of networks, we ensure the ‘voices of water’ can inﬂuence local, national, regional, and global development priorities. We are committed to our role as a neutral convener and respected for our focus on inclusiveness and sustainability.

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GWP creates and communicates information about integrated water resources management which contributes to improved water governance and, ultimately, water security.

Together with our Partners, we provide knowledge resources and capacity building activities for solving water problems.

Partner

Institutional Partners are the basis of GWP's multi-stakeholder partnership. A strong, diverse partnership can bring about the changes needed to achieve a water secure world. In this section, learn about the benefits of being a Partner and meet a few who already are. We invite like-minded organisations to join us!

GWP Regions

This is where you can find links to the websites of our Regional Water Partnerships (RWPs). RWPs are closest to the countries where we work. They share knowledge and learning across national boundaries and are expected to have an open, inclusive, and gender-sensitive policies for bringing together as wide a group of stakeholders as possible to solve water problems.

Mediterranean Gender

3/6/2020

Mirela Arqimandriti: Water and Sanitation is Central to Human Rights

As a woman who has been working for women's rights for more than 20 years and participated in hundreds of training sessions, meeting and round tables, Mirela Arqimandriti has met women from all over Albania who work in industry, service sector or public sector – such as women workers in textile and shoe factories, agriculture, health, education etc. She says that having safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation is central to human rights and the personal dignity of every woman, man and child on earth. A collaborator of GWP Mediterranean, Mirela celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD2020) by sharing her story.

In our activities, we always ask some basic questions about infrastructure. And we hear many complaints about lack of water, lack of cleaning water and amortized sewage systems in their villages or cities. They also complain how much they suffer from this lack in their daily lives. Despite the investments made in this sector by the government, and although Albania is rich in water, we still suffer from its lack or lack of clean water.

In Albanian schools, the issue of water scarcity is a major problem in health centers. But the same thing happens in different factories, or companies where hygienic conditions are lacking due to lack of water. Based on this situation I did a gender analysis of the water and sanitation system in Albania and found that we are far from fulfilling Sustainable Development Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation For All.

The water and sanitation sector documents should be influenced by the National Strategy on Gender Equality and Action Plan 2016 – 2020, and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Albania should take the lead in crosscutting gender in this very important sector. To mainstream gender in the water and sanitation sector, the Albanian Government should ensure a national gender disaggregated research study to inform national policy responses to gender issues in the water and sanitation sector at country level. Since the Government of Albania is under the preparation of the National Strategy on Water and Sewage system, they must include gender objectives and achievable indicators.

The empowerment of women and girls must be done through education for gender equality and against gender-based violence, poverty eradication, women empowerment in politics and decision making, who once in power must immediately deal with women’s and children’s rights. We as activists and feminists must lobby and advocate for the basic practical needs of women such as safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation facilities as a precondition for health and for success in the fight against poverty, hunger, child deaths and gender inequality.

Page last edited: 3/6/2020