STOCKHOLM WORLD WATER WEEK 2006
Gender and Water Seminar
Capturing the Big Picture of Gender in Water
Power relations in Policy and Practice:
How to use existing knowledge ?
National Water Resources Plan
BRAZIL
http://www.genderandwater.org
Demetrios Christofidis
National Water Resourses Plan needs did establishes 12 Regional
Executive Committees for the twelve Hydrographic Regions
Two rounds of meetings were held at the Hydrographic Regions
With a minimum of 64 people attending each of the 12 regional seminars
Example: SÃO FRANCISCO Hydrographic Region
MI
CODEVASF
MT
M. CIties
MI
UNION
MME
MMA / IBAMA
12 REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTES
SÃO FRANCISCO HYDROGRAPHIC REGION
• Management Agencies
STATES of
São Fco
SERH
• Statal Water Resources Council
• Water Basins Statal Commitee
• Basin agencies
• W.R. agents
Example: SÃO FRANCISCO Hydrogaphic Region
Users
São Fco
SINGREH
Hidrographic Region
SÃO FRANCISCO Basin
Civil
Society
Organizations
SINGREH
Hidrographic Region
SÃO FRANCISCO
12
12
Union
SCO
12
States
Users
12
16 + 48 = 64
Representatives in each
Executive Commission
INTEGRATED BASIS OF THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES
PNRH
FIRST MEETINGS at Hydrographic Regions
The initial committee meeting occurred in 2005.
In each of the 12 initial meetings, the women
participation was less than a third (32%).
32%
68%
Female
Male
I meeting CER Amazônia
I meeting CER Atlantic East
10%
18,75%
90%
81,25%
Female
Female
Male
I meeting CER Atlantic Ocidental
Male
I meeting CER Atlantic Southeast
21,43%
50%
78,57%
Female
Male
Female
Male
50%
SECOND MEETING CER RH
On the second round the women participation
was even smaller (30%).
30%
70%
Female
Male
II Reunião CER RH Amazônica
II Reunião CER RH do Atlântico Leste
21,74%
78,26%
14,29%
85,71%
Female
Male
Female
II Reunião CER RH do Atlântico NE
Ocidental
Male
II Reunião CER RH do Atlântico
Sudeste
23,08%
30,77%
69,23%
76,92%
Female
Male
Female
Male
National and Regional Seminars
In 2005 the national seminar of directives, goals and
programs and the regional seminars, in each of the 12
Hydrographic Regions, resulted in a women participation
around of 36 %.
National Seminars
Regional Seminars
36%
36,84%
63,16%
64%
Female
Male
Female
Male
Seminário Regional da RH Amazônica
Seminário Regional da RH do Atlântico Leste
8,33%
37,68%
62,32%
91,67%
Female
Male
Female
Seminário Regional da RH do Atlântico
NE Ocidental
35,82%
Male
Seminário Regional da RH do Atlântico
Sudeste
51,35%
48,65%
64,18%
Female
Female
Male
Male
On the several meetings at first phase of the National Water
Resources Plan (PNRH), men attendance were of two thirds.
34%
66%
Female
Male
According to João Bosco Senra, Brazilian Water
Resources Secretary, the National Plan had,
in its elaboration phase:
“A colective, non centralized and highly
participative construction methodology and was a
process, it has a Planning, an Action, a Monitoring
and an Improvement cycle. Periodic reviews were
anticipated due to possible changes in the
projected scenarios”.
Dr. João Bosco Senra, says :
“We know, however, that the most important – the
implementation – is only beginning. It is fundamental that
the implementation must be more participative than the
construction. What counts is the cooperation of
everybody.”
Source : ABRH Notícias nº 10; Março/2006
What can we do to amplify the local participation, balance
the gender participation and have favorable results ?
Several decisions occurred during the plan preparation period:
Training capacitors, and
the presence of the representatives of gender in the
meetings in the regional, states, at the National Water
Resources Council and its technical chambers.
• You can state that in its long text the National Water
Resources Plan accepted the gender issue and its
several agents could assimilate it.
• Its consensual that the implementation phase of the
Plan must amplify the participation with special
interest to the gender issue.
The Macro-guidelines of the PNRH-Brazil aims to
“promote incorporation of a gender perspective
as an essential element for the implementation
of integrated water resources management”.
PNRH(2006;102)
Several decisions occurred during the plan preparation period:
Training capacitors, and
the presence of the representatives of gender in the
meetings in the regional, states, at the National Water
Resources Council and its technical chambers.
• You can state that in its long text the National Water
Resources Plan accepted the gender issue and its
several agents could assimilate it.
• Its consensual that the implementation phase of the
Plan must amplify the participation with special
interest to the gender issue.
How the gender aspects of the implementation process of
Brazilian Water Resources Plan will increase in importance?
What are the main difficulties for over passing the asymmetric
gender power relations ?
Some relevant issues:
1. Tradition aspects, that associates men to the water
resources decision related subjects.
2. The hard acceptance to changes that could imply in risks
of any nature.
3. The scientific nature that has been incorporated to the
Water Resources management process.
4. The lack of appropriate knowledge, technical material and
traditions that can lead to the sensibilization and diffusion
of a higher women participation.
The key message :
How to improve the equality and to achieve
positive impacts in gender participation during
the implementation stage
of Brazilian Water Resources Plan ?
“Plano Nacional de Recursos Hídricos : Brasil”
On the several Training of Trainers
the perception of the human being
as part of the nature was improved,
also the association of the “Father
Heaven” with the “Mother Earth”.
Assimilation of the complementarities as key to the IWRM goals.
“Humanity, as a
bird, has two
wings, one is the
Man the Other a
Woman.
Only when both
are projected
with the same
strength that the
bird may fly.
Bahuala (1717 adapted)
Water is a everybody business.
Sthengthening the perception of the efficacy in the joint handling of the water resources
Plano Nacional de Recursos Hídricos - PNRH
In the 19 State Meetings, held in 2006,
woman participation was improved .
41,07%
58,93%
Female
Male
Plano Nacional de Recursos Hídricos - PNRH
Acre/AC
Maceió/AL
22,22%
53,85%
46,15%
77,78%
Female
Male
Female
Distrito Federal/DF
Male
Belém/PA
41,30%
46,88%
58,70%
53,13%
Female
Male
Female
Male
Gender: The way to reach a sustainable view over water?
“The integrated management of the water resources is a colective vision and action.”.