Women's role in the water sector emphasized at 'Women and Water Dialogue Series' concluding event

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 12 : The 'Women and Water Dialogue Series,' a program initiated during Ganga Utsav 2022, culminated in its fifth and concluding event held on October 11, at the Boat Club House in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
This final event coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child and was presided over by Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), G Asok Kumar, read the Ministry of Jal Shakti statement.
The 'Women and Water Dialogue Series' aimed to highlight the pivotal role of women in the water sector, emphasizing their involvement in decision-making processes and their critical contributions to addressing environmental challenges.
Previous events in this series were conducted in Varanasi, Kanpur, New Delhi, and Rishikesh, with the goal of engaging a diverse audience at local, national, and international levels, read the press release.
The concluding event saw a distinguished panel of speakers, including Laura Sustersic, Programme Director at Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), GIZ, Saumya Pandey, Additional Labour Commissioner, Kanpur, Dr Swayamprabha Das from Development Alternatives, Suparna Debroy, a woman entrepreneur; and Shipra Pathak from Panchtatva.
Representatives from Self-Managed Community Groups (SMCGs), District Ganga Committees, district-level authorities, and local communities, particularly women, also participated in the event. The closing session featured a musical program titled 'Nadi aur Nari,' celebrating the spirit of women and their connection to water, read the release.
Director General Asok Kumar, in his address on 'Gender Inclusion - Government Interventions,' underscored the significance of the girl child in shaping the future.
Kumar said, "The Women and Water Dialogue covered all important towns along Ganga including Varanasi, Kanpur, Delhi, Rishikesh. All programmes were linked to one or the other important day which is helps in connecting with the people".
He emphasized the need to empower girls and young women, enabling them to become influential contributors to society. This empowering vision aligns with the government's efforts to create a strong foundation for future generations.
Asok Kumar expressed his appreciation for the timely choice of International Day of the Girl Child for the concluding event and lauded GIZ for its exceptional 'Women and Water Dialogue' program.
He highlighted the success of the dialogue series, which had covered various important towns along the Ganga, fostering connections with the people.
Reflecting on his past experience as District Magistrate in Nizamabad, Telangana, Asok Kumar recounted the role of women in initiatives such as constructing individual toilets and forming Habitation Drinking Water Committees.
These endeavors significantly reduced cases of diarrhea in the region. He emphasized that empowering women has a multiplier effect in driving the intended change.
The Director General shared insights into the Jalaj initiative under Namami Gange, which aims to empower women in the Ganga basin through marketing locally-produced goods.
DG Kumar said,"Women played an important role in that initiative and they benefited the most. Habitation Drinking Water Committees with 5 women members were formed to ensure that their drinking water sources are protected and clean. These initiatives brought about a drastic reduction of diarrhea cases in the region".
He also discussed the positive impact of the Namami Gange program in enhancing water quality, demonstrated by increased sightings of aquatic species, particularly the Gangetic Dolphins.
GIZ, in collaboration with NMCG, launched the 'Women and Water Dialogue Series' to recognize and amplify the role of women in the water sector, rerad the releasae.
"We have launched Jalaj at more than 40 locations in the Ganga basin. A Jalaj Awareness and Management
(JAM) centre has recently been opened at Dilli Haat in New Delhi which is attracting a lot of people to the products made by self-help groups, especially women, in the Ganga basin", said Kumar.
Kumar added "Jalaj initiative is also aimed at empowering women in the Ganga basin by marketing their locally-produced goods and enhancing their livelihood."
The platform sought to raise awareness about women's contributions, promote their participation and engagement, and identify strategies for empowering them in decision-making processes, especially in addressing environmental challenges, read the release.
Throughout the dialogue series, various event formats celebrated women's involvement in water-related activities, fostering knowledge sharing and engagement at different levels.
The 'Women and Water Dialogue Series' served as a platform to spotlight the vital contributions of women across diverse domains within the water sector, aiming to bridge gender disparities in water management and pave the way for sustainable solutions to environmental issues.