During the 5th Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Water Expert Group (WEG) in November 2015, a UfM Ministerial Conference on Water has been proposed to take place the first semester of 2017 in Malta. The technical process towards that was launched with the WEG mandating a Drafting Group to elaborate on technical contents, in case the political partners decide to convene the suggested ministerial meeting.
My name is Nompumelelo Ntshalintshali, Principal Water Development Analyst at the Department of Water Affairs in Lesotho. I am active in coordination and regulation within the water sector and have held various positions such as Chairperson of the National WASH Forum, Monitoring and Evaluation Focal person for the Africa Minister’s Council on Water.
The main challenge I face in my work is the realisation that I work in a male dominated environment. For me, meeting that challenge entails having a positive attitude – and that goes a long way. I have also discovered that sticking to my principles and maintaining a good work ethic helps me prove that I can make it.
My advice to women (and men) as we commemorate this day together is “keep focused, keep going, and keep your integrity!”
The Swaziland Water Youth Forum is an entity under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, housed in the Department of Water Affairs. The forum was established during the SADC Water Week held in Swaziland last year. The forum has an action plan that includes raising awareness of the water sector among young people so as to enhance their participation in national development issues.
Since 2015, the Country Water Partnership of Benin (Benin CWP) initiated with the support of the Water Integrity Network (WIN) the development of a charter for good governance in the frame of the Multiannual Programme for the promotion of integrity in the area of water and sanitation in Benin. A working group with the support of a consultant led the drafting process of the Charter. From October 2015 to date, the Charter was developed, and stakeholders were consulted on its contents as well as its operationalization mechanism that was also developed.