Date: 8 & 22 March 2021
Venue: Online

Valuing women and valuing water

Join us in celebrating the value of women and the value of water in March. Both are critical to healthy and climate-resilient communities.

The value of women is infinite – women bear the brunt of problems, ranging from poverty to climate change, but they also possess the capabilities, knowledge and talents to solve these problems. That is why gender and social inclusion is embedded across Australia’s aid programs.

The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource.

Women, water and climate change are inextricably linked. Clean, safe and accessible water for everyone in the community plays a critical role in addressing poverty and contributing to economic and human development. Cohesive and fair communities are naturally more resilient, including to shocks from a changing climate or disease outbreaks.

International Women’s Day		World Water Day
On March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated globally. The UN theme for 2021 is ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world’—celebrating the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the disproportionate burdens that women carry and the centrality of women’s contributions to decision making. Across the globe and in many partner projects, women are leading organisations and institutions carrying out effective and inclusive COVID-19 responses. Share your stories of women who inspire, lead, and are committed to making a difference every day. #WomenLead #IWD2021 or #InternationalWomensDay #GenerationEquality #ChooseToChallenge		On March 22nd, World Water Day (WWD) will be celebrated globally. The theme for 2021 is ‘Valuing Water’—How we value water determines how water is managed and shared. The value of water is about much more than its price. Water has enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. Water is inextricably linked to climate and community resilience. Today, water is under extreme threat from a growing population, increasing demands of agriculture and industry, and the worsening impacts of climate change. How are your projects, people, and communities valuing water? #Water2me #WWD2021 or #WorldWaterDay

Tag us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Australia Water Partners for Development

Gender and socially inclusive Water Resource Management (WRM) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is a priority for Australia’s aid program. Australia is supporting water for development through several key WRM and WASH programs throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Australia Water Partners for Development—a collaboration between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Water for Women Fund (WfW) and the Australian Water Partnership (AWP)—will be marking these global days across the Indo-Pacific region and invite you and your network to share your women and water-related work and success stories from Australian Government water-related programs. Guidance on submissions and submission templates can be found below.

---

Key Dates

4 March	Content Submissions Due
8 March – 22 March	“Australia Water Partners for Development” online campaign
8 March	International Women’s Day celebrated
22 March	Regional celebration of Australian Water for Development Work (through DFAT, DFAT Post and Water Partners)

---

Why Submit?

It is important that we showcase the breadth of work being done in the region by our Australian partners. Your stories will be shared with DFAT and regional DFAT Posts and will also be featured on DFAT/AWP/WfW websites and social platforms for IWD, WWD and throughout the year. The aim is to collect at least one case study for each country in the region where Australian Government water-related are operating.

Guidelines for Submissions

We are looking for stories of individuals, families, communities and organisations that have been or are being positively impacted by the Australian Government’s support (through the Australian Water Partnership, Water for Women Fund, and other programs) or those who are working hard to deliver these programs, related to the themes of women in leadership, valuing water and climate change resilience and adaptation in the WASH and WRM sectors.

Submission templates are provided below (provide the completed submission template, photo/s, and signed consent for use of images form).

• Submission Template
• Consent for Use of Images Form (organisations can use their own consent procedures as long as they abide by the ethical guidelines)

Stories can be new or existing, and must:

• address any or all of the themes: women in leadership, valuing water, and/or climate change resilience;
• originate from a country in the Indo-Pacific region;
• be related to work being done in the WRM/WASH sectors;
• abide by the DFAT guidelines on ethical photography;
• include visual assets such as photographs or video footage and a short description explaining the context; and
• where possible, feature the subject’s voice or perspective, either through a direct quote or narration from their point of view.

Please send questions and submissions to Shannon Li, AWP Communications Manager.