Arab region - Regional Perspective.

 

The Arab region is one of the most water-scarce regions globally, with 19 out of 22 Arab states meeting official definitions of water scarcity and 13 states meeting definitions of absolute water scarcity. Additional crises can exacerbate the water challenge in the region, including climate change, conflict, and socioeconomic and political upheaval. In 2017, the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources and SocioEconomic Vulnerability in the Arab Region projected the duration and frequency of droughts in the region would increase. Women and girls frequently disproportionately shoulder the burden of these impacts because they may be vulnerable community members burdened by traditional gender roles. It has been estimated that 15% of schools in the Arab region have limited or no access to water, while 18% have limited or no access to basic sanitation services. In times of water scarcity or when WASH infrastructure is unavailable or insufficient, adolescent girls may miss school if they lack the facilities to manage their menstrual cycle. Additionally, families may keep girls home from school in times of crises, such as drought and flooding, because they are expected to care for other younger children. Water scarcity can also affect women’s labour-force participation and economic empowerment. Around 14% of total female employment in the Arab region is in the agriculture sector, which is highly vulnerable to water scarcity. In several of the region’s least developed countries (LDCs) and conflict-affected states, women are primarily responsible for water collection (Figure 7.6). As water scarcity intensifies, this task becomes increasingly time-consuming and dangerous, often requiring women to travel further to reach safe water supplies.

Despite the impact of water scarcity on women in the Arab region, they may not hold highly influential decision-making roles in water and sanitation utilities, often occupying a limited share of technical and leadership positions (Table 7.1). The number of women in political decision-making roles pertaining to the water and water-related sectors (including female ministers of water and water-related sectors) in the Arab region is limited but growing (Figure 7.7). The 2024 Progress Report on the Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management in the Arab Region: Midterm Status of Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 6.5.1, which included an analysis of 19 countries surveyed, found gender mainstreaming in IWRM was limited. Specifically, Arab states reported on the degree to which gender mainstreaming activities and outcomes in IWRM were achieved, reviewed and revised based on accountability mechanisms. While the Gulf Cooperation Council countries scored highly on gender mainstreaming components according to this self-reporting exercise, most other states in the region scored medium or low (Table 7.2). Some LDCs (e.g. Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) scored particularly low.

Despite the challenges, there are many opportunities and efforts in the Arab region to promote the inclusion of women in leadership and decision-making roles in the water sector. Doing so may help to shed light on the differential impacts of water scarcity on women and to generate solutions to address this problem.

There are several key components that may increase women’s involvement in the water sector. Education and training can help to equip women and girls with the knowledge and skills necessary to make an impact. Gender mainstreaming policies can help to support women’s insertion in the water sectorat the national and subnational levels. Policies could facilitate the establishment of programmes and projects that create opportunities for women’s involvement in the sector. Robust monitoring and reporting mechanisms – along with sharing of good practices, success stories and lessons learned – can guide future initiatives on women leading the water management and WASH sectors and participating in decision-making processes while breaking through gender stereotypes that may inhibit women’s involvement. Capacity-building and training In education, according to UNESCO data from 2020 to 2024, there are fewer women than men graduates in Arab states for STEM topics, which are the most relevant areas of study for the water management and WASH sectors (Figure 7.8). According to a 2021 study, this low ratio of women in STEM education is mirrored in the workplace. In Jordan, women employees constituted 11% of the total employees in WRM and held 17.5% of leadership and supervision positions within the sector, with none reaching the decision-making level. In Morocco, the female employment rate in public services, including the water ministry, was around 34.5%. In the State of Palestine, the percentage of women employed in the public sector was 31.4%, with the upper-level managementof water resources considered a male role while women were often seen as more suitable for administrative and desk work. In Egypt, although the number of women graduating from STEM was lower than that of Jordan and Morocco, 41% of the engineers in the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation were women, with 15% of these women engineers holding high-level positions. In Morocco, the H2O Maghreb capacity-development project, supported by the United States Agency for International Development, was implemented from 2017 to 2022 as a public–private development partnership established with the Government of Morocco, the National Office for Water and Electricity and other entities. The original goal of providing water-related training content to everyone was extended to focus on women’s technical training for the water sector specifically. Of the 112 trainees enrolled in the H2O Maghreb project, 76% were women. Programme results showed 47% of the women participants found employment in the water management and WASH sector, compared with 50% of male participants.

On a subnational scale, in Jordan, the Water Wise Women initiative – funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and implemented by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development – provided more than 300 women in rural areas with training to empower their management of water resources at the household level and in relation to local civil servants. Women community leaders in the programme underwent intensive training covering topics ranging from WASH efficiencies, relationships between water uses and government and private sector providers, plumbing and water storage. The plumbing training module aimed to help the participants save on water costs in their own home and to encourage them to use their new plumbing skills as an income-generating activity. Water Wise Women participants reported forming plumbing businesses with their spouses, as well as using the training to introduce new sustainable irrigation systems for their household gardens.

While training and capacity-building can help to empower women, national policies are also needed to translate education into action. In Morocco, gender provisions have been implemented into water laws and the National Water Plan. Law No. 36-15 mandated that at least one-quarter of the seats in key water governance bodies – including the Superior Council of Water and Climate, water basin councils and prefectural or provincial water commissions – be reserved for women.

In other states in the region, women are mentioned in national water policies, but clear paths for their inclusion have not been identified. For example, Saudi Arabia’s Water Act under Saudi Vision 2030 – the national government programme for advancement and diversification economically and socially – restricts its mention of women to stating: “Every woman has the right to obtain clean, safe water that meets the approved specifications”. Some Arab nations are integrating women’s empowerment into broader national development strategies, but without a specific focus on WRM. For example, the Oman Vision 2040, aimed at modernization, emphasizes the need for socioeconomic empowerment programmes that support women. This includes providing financial assistance to Omani women’s associations, which play a crucial role in fostering community development. However, despite these efforts, there are no specific provisions that directly promote women’s participation in WRM. Similarly, Kuwait’s Vision 2035, known as ‘New Kuwait’, emphasizes the empowerment of women as a key pillar of its development plan. The government aims to have women holding 35% of decision-making roles. Laws, international agreements and a political commitment to the role of women in society support the vision. However, to truly assess the effectiveness of these initiatives, it is essential to monitor and report on their impact. This will help determine whether they have led to a meaningful increase in women’s involvement in water management and identify any gaps or opportunities for further support. Overall, while some progress in women’s inclusion in WRM is evident in new policies and the growing number of women water leaders, studies from Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and the State of Palestine voice common impediments and concerns with respect to gender obstacles. These include women’s sentiments that gender stereotypes inhibit their participation in WRM, as evidenced by discriminatory questions asked in job interviews. Participants in earlier studies on women’s inclusion in WRM indicated they felt greater anonymity (whereby reviewers have no knowledge of the applicant’s gender – for example, derived from their name) in the initial stages of recruitment increased their likelihood of finding work in water management. Patriarchal societies where negative perceptions of female leadership prevail have been deeply entrenched in the region and require serious efforts on the part of policymakers and society as a whole to overcome.

Water-related challenges in the Arab region are vast. They are multiplying in the face of climate change and compound crises such as conflict and socio-economic upheaval. In this environment, water scarcity and other water-related issues may disproportionately affect vulnerable community members such as women. Therefore, it is essential that women leaders play an active role in efforts to identify and give voice to the impact of water challenges on women and on building solutions. While there have been some advances in women’s inclusion in WRM, there is a need to build on the momentum. This may be achieved by disseminating success stories on women’s roles within water management and continuing to encourage women’s enrolment in engineering-related programmes. Establishing and implementing national policies that incentivize women’s participation while closely monitoring the achievement of Arab states’ visions and strategies for integrating women into water management over time are also important. Additionally, there is a need for sex-disaggregated data in water management and WASH to show the impact of water crises on women and girls and to monitor progress towards their inclusion in the sector. Given the diverse social, political and economic contexts across Arab states, an approach that is sensitive to each country’s specific circumstances may be more effective than a one-size-fits-all model. This is important considering the variation in women’s economic status and access to resources across the region. While some countries have achieved notable milestones, others continue to face entrenched social norms that may limit women’s participation. Solutions must therefore be holistic – integrating projects, training, policies, visions and assessment – while remaining flexible enough to adapt to each state’s unique pace and realities.

A common persistent obstacle is the existence of gender stereotypes, which may hinder women’s enrolment in STEM education and their participation in water management positions. Multiple interventions could be used to overcome this, including more equitable hiring practices and programmes that increase women’s influence in water management. This would show younger generations of women that change is possible and there is a place for them in the water resources and WASH sectors.