Empowering Women in Water

IWA Specialist Group on Sustainability in the Water Sector Sustainability in the Water Sector

Target Audience

IWA Members; IWA YWP Communities; IWA Specialist Groups

Description

Present and future water challenges call for us to attract and retain the best talent, knowledge and effort we can, from both women and men. However, there is currently inadequate investment in developing the skills and talents of women, recruiting them into the water industry, providing a wide range of opportunities for them to participate and use their skills, and supporting their efforts. As a result, women are numerically under-represented in areas ranging from skilled trades workers to management, as well as subject to inadequate support in optimising their contributions.

The content of this webinar will be based on the responses to a survey of water professionals globally. During this session, both senior and younger women professionals from around the world will provide their perspectives, lessons learned, and suggestions. They will be considering issues like cultural context, recruitment/retention of women into a wide range of roles, and the particular challenges faced by women in leadership positions.

Learning Objectives

After attending the presentations and discussion in this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify barriers and opportunities related to diversity and inclusion of women in the water industry, related to hiring them and supporting their ability to maximize their contributions;
  • Identify actions and interventions that can be applied by water and sanitation organisations to promote a more diverse workforce and a more inclusive work environment;
  • Develop ideas for how women can work to overcome current barriers, and contribute to a more supportive work environment for themselves;
  • Apply the experiences presented and the knowledge gained from the presentations and discussion to their own career paths;
  • Gain awareness of new and innovative approaches, learnt from discussions during the webinar.

 

Presentation Slides and Q&A Report

  • To view the Presentation Slides from the webinar, please click here.
  • To view the Q&A Report from the webinar, please click here.
  • To visit the Sustainability in the Water Sector SG page on IWA Connect, please click here.

 

Webinar Resources

Here are some resources recommended by the webinar panelists:

Host

International Water Association

Panelists