Page 113 - CIWA AR25

Annexes

Equity
Capacity building was a cornerstone of CIWA’s GESI work in FY25, with
CIWA is working for a world with gender equality, which means changing extensive training provided to staff and stakeholders across multiple
the norms about female and male roles and influencing power relations projects. Over 293 women in high- or medium-skilled and management
within governments, companies, institutions, and households. positions participated in technical trainings, and satisfaction surveys
indicated high levels of approval for these events. The ENTRO allocated
It is also working to improve social inclusion and the dignity of people who significant resources to train staff on creating gender-friendly workplaces
are disadvantaged because of their identity so they can participate fully and launched the Gender Forum for the Eastern Nile Basin. The MCWE
and equally in society. Social inclusion assumes that men and women are initiative provided online GESI training to its members and developed a
not homogeneous but are stratified by age, race, religion, ethnic origin, comprehensive action plan with a Results Framework. These activities
beliefs and practices, and many other socio-cultural contexts. were designed not only to build individual capacity but also to foster
institutional change and create more inclusive environments for women
This year, the CIWA Annual Report is adding this section on Equity to and other marginalized groups.
align with the FCDO’s methodology on Value for Money. It is a summary
of the relevant content from within the Annual Report of examples on
GESI integration into CIWA operations and indicators that measure GESI Does the CIWA Program Still
results. Represent Value for Money?
The CIWA program represents Value for Money. While operating a lean
GESI Activities
Secretariat and leveraging partnerships, CIWA has made strong progress
In recognition of the need to address the male dimension of gender, toward its program-level objectives and results targets, thereby achieving
particularly since water is a male-dominated sector, CIWA launched a good return on the financial support from development partners. It is
the Male Champions for Women’s Empowerment Initiative. In FY25, the important to note that the CIWA program operates in a complex space where
Male Champions for Women’s Empowerment initiative expanded its progress is non-linear, which means that progress and setbacks go together
membership to 24 by recruiting 13 new Champions from all SSA regions. and may affect development indicators. However, the evidence strongly
These Champions represent civil society, youth organizations, academia, suggests that the CIWA program still represents good value for money.
and government Ministries, who participated in targeted capacity-building
workshops, technical assistance sessions, and regular dialogues to address
gender gaps and promote women’s empowerment in water institutions.

Integration of GESI considerations includes Untapping Resilience
community engagement guidelines that required social, environmental,
gender, and technical specialists to ensure investments addressed the
needs of all community members, especially women and other vulnerable
groups. The Nile-SEC Young Professionals Internship Program included
three women participants, and a regional workshop for the Nile Women’s
Network was planned to amplify women’s voices in transboundary
water governance. In Southern Africa, sub-grant projects benefited over
100,000 people, including about 52,000 women, and provided training
and scholarships to women in technical and management positions.
The RCRP and NCCR further emphasized gender inclusion in investment
planning and delivery, with targeted recruitment and training for women
in water resources institutions.

Initiatives such as the South Sudan Transboundary Waters Support and
the Lake Chad Water Security project convened dialogues among national
authorities, humanitarian actors, and local stakeholders and tailored
data platforms for evidence-based decision making. The Sustainable
Groundwater Management in SADC – Phase II initiative supported civil
society engagement through dialogues and capacity building, while the
MCWE initiative collaborated with networks such as the Women in Water
Diplomacy Network to engage youth and academia. These efforts were
complemented by actions to challenge gender and social norms, such
as establishing gender-balanced National Focal Groups, revising action
plans, and hosting learning events and roundtables to discuss retaining
women in water sector jobs.

113