International Waters learning Exchange & Resource Network

GEF IW:LEARN Gender Hub

Welcome to the Gender Hub, created to gather all relevant resources in support of GEF International Waters Projects.

The GEF recognizes that gender equality is an important goal in the context of its projects. In November 2017, the GEF Council approved a new GEF Policy on Gender Equality. With the objective to support the effective implementation of the Policy, their Guidance Document provides detail on the practical steps and required actions to implement the principles and mandatory requirements specified in the Policy with a focus on gender-responsive design, implementation, and monitoring of GEF programs and projects. Every GEF project is expected to design gender responsive approaches and incorporate gender mainstreaming as one of the key principles to ensure that all individuals, male and female, have the opportunity to participate and benefit equitably.

Based on the relevance of gender in water-related matter at all levels, from household practices to governance issues, the GEF-funded IW:LEARN project has included in its fourth cycle a gender sub-component “Promotion of Gender Mainstreaming in the GEF IW Portfolio”, with the scope of achieving increased recognition of gender issues and attention on gender equality throughout the GEF IW projects.

The IW:LEARN Gender sub-component is executed by the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme of UNESCO (WWAP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

A relevant part of the Gender sub-component is the Webinar series ‘IW:LEARN WEBINAR SERIES – ‘ENGENDERING INTERNATIONAL WATERS’ which is a set of six webinars that aims to provide GEF IW projects with the elements and tools for training project staff and client country experts on water and gender issues and how to incorporate gender considerations into water policies, in different project contexts. The webinars will be executed between 2017 and 2019, and will be complemented by face-to-face international and regional workshops.  

Photo credit: Divya Agrawal 2021 Titled "An Indian woman rowing the boat known as "Shikara" in Srinagar, Kashmir."