NEW YORK (April 5, 2013)– WEDO’s ED Cate Owren is delighted to be heading to St. Louis, Missouri, this weekend to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative University annual conference. She will join a panel on Engaging Women in Water Solutions, highlighting the critical roles of women and men alike in natural resources management and conservation, and decision-making and initiatives, at all levels. All the more urgent and essential in the midst of a changing climate, realizing the human right to water will demand a close examination of both access and provision – as well as women’s and men’s distinct needs and responsibilities in the context of sanitation, health and hygiene. She will also use this opportunity to engage with thousands of young innovators across the United States, and look to build WEDO’s growing network of young women leaders for sustainable development.
Billions of Drops in the Bucket: Engaging Women in Water Solutions★ Ann W. Olin Women’s Building, Formal Lounge
Environment and Climate Change
Clean water shortages—due to pollution, disappearing resources, or lack of infrastructure—affect over 1.6 billion people around the world. Scientists predict that climate change will only exacerbate these conditions, the effects of which are especially acute on women. In most regions of the world, women serve as the primary managers of the local and household water supply and sanitation. Yet women hold title to under two percent of the world’s private land. How could equitable access to water serve as a powerful tool for poverty alleviation and gender equality, and what leadership roles could women have in the water management and sanitation sectors moving forward? This panel will combine environmental policy and project-based expertise to explore how students can take part in initiatives that not only mitigate the effects of water scarcity, global warming, and water contamination on women, but also empower women to serve as leaders for sustainable local, regional, and global water management.
Moderator:
Zafar Adeel, Director, United Nations University, Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)
Participants:
Gemma Bulos, Director, Global Women’s Water Initiative
Olimar Maisonet, Policy Coordinator, SustainUS
Cate Owren, Executive Director, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
