The inclusion of a water goal in the the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) puts the responsibility for linking water to other development sectors firmly in the hands of water policy makers and practitioners. GWP’s Technical Background Paper No. 22 addresses the implementation of the water goal in the context of an integrated, cross-sectoral approach.
The inclusion of a water goal in the the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) puts the responsibility for linking water to other development sectors firmly in the hands of water policy makers and practitioners. GWP’s Technical Background Paper No. 22 addresses the implementation of the water goal in the context of an integrated, cross-sectoral approach.
Name: Maria Amakali
Occupation: Director of Water Resources Management
Country: Namibia
Country of Work: Namibia and SADC
What would you say are the main challenges in your work as a woman?
I started working as hydrologist in the Department of Water Affairs in the early nineties. I had studied in the US and was ready to come and work in a newly independent Namibia. My responsibilities included planning and execution of research and investigations regarding sustainable development of water resources; and providing advice on the effective utilization, protection and conservation of such resources. At a time I found a lot of males, in the department. Except for the two women scientist in Hydrology Division, most women were doing mostly secretarial or office administrative work. I remember one day standing outside, waiting for my ride home and this man came to me asking whose secretary I was. In an independent Namibia, I was quite shocked that the old stereotype mentality that women can only be secretaries still exists. Those days there were not many women or black hydrologists, but I was still offended.