WAT E R
WDM activities can be measured in terms of the participation, benefits, and costs to women, men, girls, and boys. ■
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Water Sanitation and Hygiene Education in Schools and Communities Illustrations and messages found in textbooks focus on the traditional roles of boys and girls and men and women perpetuating the gender roles that have kept women in poverty and relegated women and girls to the background. A deliberate effort will have to be made to change this in the areas of gender and text book writing and gender equity and the role of curriculum and teachers.
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Teaching aids and the curriculum should be reviewed to make them
CITIES
PHASE II
gender-sensitive.
Gender issues should be integrated into the institutional and legal framework of the WDM strategies.
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FOR AFRICAN
The VBWE programme should integrate gender mainstreaming and pro-poor issues into the planning and implementation of all activities.
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The VBWE materials and activities should speak to the need for equity in water and sanitation coverage.
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Training and educational material should address the reality of both genders..
Advocacy, Awareness-raising, and Information Exchange ■
Local governments should develop gender focused information, education, and communication materials and tools and increase the participation and representation of women and men from informal settlements and slums in public meetings.
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Information exchange and dissemination should be done using different forms of media such as drama, games, and demonstrations in the promotion of water and sanitation and enhancement of gender mainstreaming.
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National Governments should strengthen government and communities in lobbying and advocacy to provide strategic leadership in key areas such as human rights education and mainstreaming of a rights-based approach in development.
Next Steps The action plans developed by each city are currently at different stages of implementation. The ownership and learning by doing catalyzed by the process are remarkable. While the training needs gap will feed into the sub-programme on Training and Capacity Building, UN-HABITAT and the GWA are in the meantime preparing for a high level policy meeting of multi-stakeholders from the 17 African cities. The aim of this meeting is to reflect on the progress made on the implementation of the various action plans at city level with a view to identify gaps and design strategy for policy design. It is also expected that this high level policy consultation will provide a platform for peer review and strategic convergence with the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN) and the Water for Asian Cities Programme.
Contact information: Ms. Mariam Yunusa Senior Programme Officer Water Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch P.O.Box 30030 Nairobi- Kenya. Tel : 254- 20- 7623067; Fax: 254 -20-7623588 E-mail: mariam.yunusa @unhabitat.org Website: http://www.unhabitat.org
Ms. Joke Muylwijk Executive Director Gender and Water Alliance P.O.Box 114, 6950 AC Dieren Hogestraat 20, 6953 AT Dieren, The Netherlands Tel: +31 313 427230 jokemuylwijk@chello.nl (secretariat@gwalliance.org) www.genderandwater.org
U N - H A B I TAT PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H G E N D E R A N D WAT E R A L L I A N C E