The 2026 World Water Day theme – “Where water flows, equality grows” – highlights the link between water and gender equality, and calls for stronger recognition of women’s leadership in water governance and investment.
Across the GWP Network, regions are marking World Water Day by sharing perspectives, initiatives, and examples that bring this theme into practice.
GWP’s Message for World Water Day 2026
For World Water Day 2026, Ms. Jae So, Chair of GWP’s Technical Committee, highlights the critical role of women’s leadership in transforming water governance and investments.
While women have long been the primary managers of water at the household level, their leadership in utilities, ministries, and financial institutions is equally critical. Evidence shows that more inclusive water leadership leads to stronger governance, improved risk management, and more sustainable investment outcomes.
As GWP advances its new Strategy 2026-2030, the message is clear: closing the global water investment gap requires moving beyond participation to leadership.
“We must break the glass ceiling in water management,” she says. “The world must move beyond consulting women to ensuring they hold decision-making power and control over investments. When water flows through the hands of empowered leaders, equality grows for everyone.”
Highlights from across the GWP Network
Here are highlights from across GWP’s regions marking World Water Day.
GWP Southern Africa
Mrs. Litumelo Mate-Sievers, Gender Specialist at GWP Southern Africa, highlights how social, economic, and cultural inequalities shape access to water, opportunities, and decision-making for women and girls.
GWP Mediterranean
Dr. Soukeina Bouraoui, Professor of Law at the University of Tunis and Executive Director of the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), and a long-standing collaborator of GWP Mediterranean, shares her reflection on why women’s leadership is essential for the future of water governance:
“In the context of climate change and the risks that today affect humanity and all living beings, women are disproportionately confronted with the challenges facing the planet and its resources, particularly water. This is a fundamental contradiction: women are resilient, courageous, and peace builders, and their place must be at the heart of global, regional, and local governance, within all decision-making bodies that shape our shared future.”
GWP Central & Eastern Europe
Ms. Monika Jetzin, a water professional with over 20 years of experience at GWP Hungary, highlights the essential role of women in the water sector through her work with young people. Through initiatives such as Danube Box, Danube Day, and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Hungary, she helps inspire and connect the next generation around water, sustainability, and cross-border cooperation. Explore GWP Central & Eastern Europe’s World Water Day article to learn more.
GWP South Asia
In rural Pakistan, GWP Pakistan, in collaboration with the Tayaba Welfare International Association (TWIA), donated 390 “Help to Others (H2O) Wheels” to water-scarce communities in the Cholistan and Tharparkar deserts – transforming how water is collected and carried.
For many women and girls, collecting water can take hours each day, often involving long and unsafe journeys. The H2O Wheel – a simple but powerful innovation – allows households to transport up to five times more water, while reducing physical strain, improving health, and freeing up time for education and income-generating activities.
Watch the snapshot video below, and the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnO3CptCUYc
GWP South America
Through consultation processes for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Action Plans in Chile and Ecuador, GWP South America helped advance women’s participation in water governance. The processes highlighted gender gaps, encouraged more inclusive engagement, and supported recognition of women’s roles in leadership, climate adaptation, and community resilience.
GWP Central America
To commemorate this year’s World Water Day, GWP Central America highlights its 2022 publication “Gender-focused planning guide for public policies on water and climate change” (published in Spanish under the original title “Herramienta de planificación con enfoque de género en políticas públicas de agua y cambio climático”). It includes 7 essential steps for Latin American countries to incorporate the gender approach in public policies on climate change and water resource management.
GWP World Water Day 2026 Activities
GWP Regional Water Partnerships are convening dialogues on gender equality and inclusive water governance:
🗓️ 20 March 2026 – GWP Caribbean hosts a high-level panel on water and gender in the Caribbean
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/MZG40NB0T-ODmqcO62hGbA#/registration
🗓️ 24–25 March 2026 – GWP Central America convenes its Annual General Assembly of Members and Regional Forum, placing women and girls at the centre of water solutions
Watch this event here: https://www.facebook.com/gwpcam
Resources
UN
GWP co-publications
- Mainstreaming gender equality in water resources management: Global status and 7 pathways to progress
- Mainstreaming gender in national drought plans, national action plans and national policies