Chapter 15 Advancing gender equity through water (SDG 5)

Women and men often occupy different, culturally determined roles in a society. This includes in water spaces—the collection, management, treatment, and governance of water—from the household to international scale. This chapter places the gender equity and water relationship in a broader context and addresses the gender dimension of the coupled human–water system. It zooms in on the importance of, and ways to achieve women’s agency for water security, which includes engagement in nested political hierarchies and transboundary water governance. A distinction is made between gender sensitivity and women inclusiveness. Both gender sensitivity and women inclusiveness are needed to ensure effective water for sustainable development solutions that leave no one behind.