2024-10-20-亚开行-性别平等与水安全_加速进展的概念框架和实践策略（英）_54页_4mb

Gender Equality and Water Security

This report explores the critical intersections of gender equality and water security. It reveals that women face disproportionate impacts of water insecurity, including higher exposure to health risks, reduced economic opportunities, and increased vulnerability to disasters, often due to societal gender norms and marginalization.

The conceptual framework for gendered water security integrates human capabilities, societal contexts, institutional structures, and environmental factors to understand how gender affects access to water and sanitation, disaster risks, and water management. It highlights that gender equality requires addressing power structures, agency, and outcomes, while acknowledging intersectional identities and diverse water uses (e.g., domestic, productive, cultural).

To achieve gender-transformative change, the report proposes five practical strategies:

• Embed gender thinking in policies and governance to ensure inclusive design.
• Promote meaningful participation and codesign of water projects to shift from token involvement to transformative engagement.
• Strengthen women's voice, leadership, and decision-making in water organizations.
• Address systemic inequality through training, partnerships, and inclusive workforce practices.
• Enhance monitoring and research to track intended and unintended gender impacts.

Case studies demonstrate these approaches, such as community-led dialogue to reduce gender-based violence, women’s involvement in irrigation management, and the use of codesign in sanitation infrastructure. These practices mitigate risks like backlash and unintended harm by aligning with feminist theory, political economy, and an intersectional lens.

The report concludes with four key recommendations:

• Build internal capacity for gender equality within water institutions.
• Adopt gender-transformative approaches across governance and management bodies.
• Set targets for monitoring progress on gender in water security.
• Promote partnerships that amplify women’s leadership in water initiatives.

Overall, integrating gender equality into water security is essential for achieving equitable outcomes, accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals, and building resilient communities.