Women’s leadership in water takes center stage in Dushanbe ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference

Co-organized by the Committee on Women and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and UN Women, the forum brought together 160 government representatives, development partners, and civil society to advance gender-responsive approaches to water governance, financing, and international cooperation ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will take place from 2-4 December 2026.

The event underscored the growing political commitment to ensuring women have a stronger voice in water governance and decision-making at all levels. 

“Women and girls are the most affected by the water crisis, yet they remain under-represented in decision-making levels. Today’s Forum is a call to action: to invest in women’s leadership, include their voices in governance, and strengthen the cooperation that water security demands,” stated Dilrabo Mansuri, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan.

In 2023, an estimated 380 million women and girls were living in areas facing high or critical water stress, a figure projected to rise to 674 million by 2050. Beyond access to water itself, water insecurity has severe consequences for women’s and girls’ health, food security, reproductive rights, education, and economic opportunities. 

“As a low-lying delta country, the Netherlands understands that water management is existential. Through our international water programmes, we work with partners to strengthen systems, build markets and expand access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, including menstrual hygiene products, with a focus on women’s rights, needs and agency,” said Meike van Ginneken, Dutch Water Envoy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

Participants also explored how financing and technology can better support women working in the water sector, including through dedicated funding mechanisms, incubators for women-led water enterprises, and the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence to address gender-specific water challenges.

“We must integrate gender-responsive budgeting into national water investment plans and track allocations reaching women-led water initiatives. Gender markers must be applied to all water-related climate finance, and women-led organizations must be eligible for direct access to funding,” mentioned Ceren Guven Gures, UN Women Head of Central Asia Liaison Office and Representative of the Kazakhstan Country Office.

Speakers also underlined that women remain significantly under-represented in water governance, particularly in trans-boundary water management and decision-making processes. Participants stressed that closing this gap is not only a matter of equality but also essential for building sustainable and resilient water systems. 

The Forum concluded with the adoption of the outcome document “Women and Water”. The document outlines concrete commitments to strengthen gender-responsive water governance and establish a follow-up mechanism linked to the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Key messages and recommendations from the Forum will be formally submitted to the 4th Dushanbe High-Level International Conference on the Water Action Decade (27 May 2026), as well as to the Secretariat of the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates. The outcomes will also feed into the in-depth review of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation at the High-Level Political Forum and the preparations for the 2027 UN SDG Summit.