ADVOCACY EVENT ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SCALING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY WATERSHED

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2025
HYBRID (ONLINE & ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA)

AfWWC is committed to positioning African women as active agents in the fight for water security and climate resilience. The event will not only foster valuable discussions but also inspire and equip attendees with insights and tools for impactful action. The event will include a series of interactive panel discussions designed to provoke critical thinking and foster dialogue. This event will serve as a vital convening point for professionals, advocates, and leaders to exchange knowledge and strategies to address Africa’s water and climate challenges through integrated and nature-based approaches.

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ABOUT THE EVENT

Water-related risks and climate change have a profound negative impact on Africa, especially on women, who play essential roles in managing water resources and securing drinking water, particularly at the household and community levels. African women increasingly face the burden of water scarcity, the impacts of flooding, and ecosystem degradation with a changing climate. Nature-based solutions (NbS), such as watershed restoration, Agroecology, and reforestation, offer sustainable approaches to enhance water security, climate risk resilience, and biodiversity while empowering communities to protect and utilize their livelihoods.

With rapid environmental changes across Africa, scaling up nature-based solutions and integrated water resources management is essential to tackle water scarcity, ecosystem degradation, and climate adaptation. African women bring invaluable knowledge and perspectives to nature-based solutions, leveraging their deep connection to the environment and the community, yet their roles are often marginalized in policy-making processes.
Given that African women play a pivotal role in implementing these solutions at the grassroots level, AfWWC's key focus is to highlight and amplify their contributions. This event underscores the critical importance of empowering women—who often bear the greatest burden of water scarcity—by ensuring their active participation and leadership in sustainable water management and climate resilience initiatives, thereby fostering more inclusive, equitable, and community-driven solutions.
This event aims to inspire action, foster collaboration, and drive systemic change toward more gender-inclusive, equitable, and resilient water and climate systems in Africa by highlighting and amplifying the critical role of African women in driving nature-based solutions (NbS), integrated water resource management (IWRM), and climate resilience initiatives at the grassroots level. Through a series of panel discussions with experts and leaders, the event will:
                 
              Showcase women's leadership and contributions to sustainable water and climate solutions,                                                  
              particularly in marginalized and rural/urban communities.

              Explore challenges, opportunities, and best practices for integrating gender equity into water                               
              resource management, policy frameworks, and financing mechanisms.

              Facilitate knowledge exchange on how traditional knowledge held by women can enhance modern  NbS and IWRM
              practices.
             
              Advocate for increased investment and policy support for women-led initiatives to build capacity,               
              promote equitable resource access, and ensure sustainable development.
           
              Elevate the voices and leadership of African women in regional and global water and climate                       
              discussions, driving more inclusive, community-driven, and sustainable solutions.