Women–Water Nexus for Sustainable Global Water Resources

The essential role of women in water-management initiatives at the community level has been extensively documented (UN Water 2006; World Water Vision 2000), and a strategy of gender mainstreaming has been advocated by the United Nations as a means of involving women and integrating their concerns into the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of water-related policies and programs (World Bank 2010). However, less attention has been paid to the importance of female participation in leadership positions in academia, government, and society in promoting sustainable water-resource management. A recent report by the United Nations indicated that about 30% of researchers worldwide are women, and their participation in senior-level corporate positions is even smaller (United Nations 2015a).

We cannot afford to miss out on the skill and creativity of half the world’s population. Among several recommendations to reduce the gender gap are actions to enhance women’s representation at high levels of decision-making positions in academic and research institutions, scientific associations, and scientific and technological companies (World Bank 2011). Not only does lack of diversity limit the generation of scientific and technological knowledge and the production of successful solutions to complex situations such as our current water resources crisis, but women in senior positions can serve as role models to future women scientists and engineers.

Several studies have investigated the factors that can affect the advancement of women in academic and corporate positions, citing lack of appropriate mentoring programs, restricted academic networks, gender bias, and lack of women in academic leadership and decision-making positions (Fouad et al. 2016; Hill et al. 2010; Joshi 2014; Kelly and Grant 2012; Thomas et al. 2015; World Bank 2011). At the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations (UN), the gender disparities in science and technology at every educational level and in every sector of employment were acknowledged (World Bank 2011). This commission also stressed the need for scientific and engineering communities to collaborate with government and nongovernment organizations to create meaningful actions to develop the scientific and engineering talent of women in at-risk communities (World Bank 2010, 2014). The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has a priority area of gender and science that has emphases on the integration of gender, science and technology, women, and local knowledge. In addition, UNESCO has the “For Women in Science Programme” that recognizes female researchers who contribute to overcoming global challenges (UNESCO 2013).

Nonprofit organizations have promoted networking opportunities to enhance the role of women in the water sector. For example, the Women for Water Partnership (www.womenforwater.org) assists members in implementing projects to address water and sanitation issues that affect women, and the Global Women’s Water Initiative (http://globalwomenswater.org) is aimed at developing female trainers for water, sanitation, and hygiene strategies in nine countries in Africa. In the context of water resources and environmental engineering organizations, the International Network for Capacity Building in Integrated Water Resources Management (Cap-Net; www.cap-net.org) has recognized the critical role that women may play in science-based fields, such as health, sanitation, and agriculture (Guio-Torres and Taylor 2006).

Another example of a networking activity for female engineers is the Women’s International Research Engineering Summit (WIRES) workshops, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), that connect female engineers from around the world to promote international collaboration among women inside and outside of academia and from developing and developed countries. One of the research cluster themes of the WIRES workshop in February 2011 was clean water. In contrast to other efforts that have primarily involved women from economic, social, and community involvement sectors, WIRES emphasizes connections among engineers.

To address the gap in connecting women with technical expertise for addressing water issues around the world and to achieve leadership roles in such activities, the International Council of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) formed the Women–Water Nexus task committee. The main purpose of this task committee is to develop a network of women scientists and engineers worldwide to promote research in water resources with a focus on advancing the careers and education of future women scientists and engineers and the betterment of conditions for women in academia and science in developed and developing countries. For example, women in the United States currently earn almost 50% of all science and engineering bachelor’s degrees. However, even with this increase in overall numbers for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, women represent less than 20% of enrolled students in engineering over the past 20 years. In STEM disciplines, the number of women at the full professor rank has more than doubled since 1993; however, women still represent less than one-fourth of senior faculty positions (NSF 2015). Similarly, although female enrollment in universities in the European Union exceeds male enrollment, the number of women holding leadership positions at the academic level was only 21% in 2013, and only 13% in engineering (European Commission 2016). In other countries, there is even more disparity; for example, at the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in the Middle East (Irbid, Jordan), only 4.6% of tenured positions in the faculty of engineering are held by women, with no female full professor appointments as of 2015 (M. Abu-Dalo, personal communication, 2015). We also note that specific data about female participation in leadership in the water industry and water technology/innovation sectors are limited and critically needed.

The recent adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 included SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 6 that addresses clean water and sanitation (United Nations 2015b). The targets of the latter SDG recognize that current critical water issues are often global in scope and extend across borders and sectors of society (Kauffman 2014). There is a critical need to expand existing efforts and create new initiatives to address SDGs 5 and 6 by promoting collaboration among female scientists and professionals in multiple countries. Together, we can address key water-related SDG targets regarding gender issues and the need for international collaboration and capacity building. Engaging women in leadership and decision-making regarding water issues can have real, long-term effects on a sustainable water future.