UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, will address UN Member States and other participants at the 7th Assembly of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which will take place on February 11, 2022, in virtual format from the UN headquarters in New York.

The event, organized by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), aims to recognize the role of women and girls in science, not only as beneficiaries, but also as agents of change, particularly in to accelerate progress towards achieving SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation).

The 7th Assembly on the theme Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Water Unites Us will bring together women scientists, senior government officials, representatives of international organizations and the private sector to discuss the link between water and the achievement of sustainable development . It will showcase best practices, strategies, applied solutions and experiences to address SDG6 challenges and opportunities via Cansu’s Global Media Room.

On this occasion, UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Program will also take the floor, presenting the work on water and gender, with particular emphasis on the Call to Action to Accelerate the gender equality in water, which can be seen as a wake-up call, calls for eliminating gender inequalities from the male-dominated water sector in which women continue to be severely under-represented. Urgent action in this area will be key to achieving a waterless world.

Several members of the ‘Call for Action Multi-stakeholder Coalition’ will speak in different panels and conversations, highlighting the need for gender-transformative action and the relevance of the Call for Action initiative to achieve this goal:

In Conversation 1 of Panel 1: “Women in Science for Water and Society: Moving from Voices to Action”, Ms. Silvia Rafaelli, Senior Researcher, Director of the Centro Regional Litoral of the Argentine National Institute of water, will talk about his work and his vision to ensure water security for all.

In Conversation 2 of Panel 1: “Reviving Peace through science-based water diplomacy”, Ms. Mary Khimulu, Chair of the Board of the Kenya Water Sector Trust Fund, will speak on mediation in water conflicts, the preventive diplomacy and the management of transboundary water resources. .

In Panel 2 Conversation 2: “Financing Innovative Science and Green Technology Based Solutions and Programs” will see the participation of Ms. Neeta Pokhrel, Head of Water Sector Group, Department of Sustainable Development and Climate Change of the Asian Development Bank. She will discuss how to find the balance between financing innovation and traditional knowledge in water-related projects and programs.