The 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) in Kuala Lumpur hosted a landmark panel on “Women’s Capacity Development in Participatory Water Governance and Management for Sustainable Development,” bringing together experts and policymakers to deliberate on the critical role of women in irrigation, agriculture, and water governance. Speakers highlighted that although women remain central to sustaining households and agriculture, their participation in water sector decision-making remains disproportionately low. In South Asia, nearly seventy per cent of women are engaged in agriculture, yet they are often denied equitable access to resources. When women receive equal access to resources and training, farm yields can increase by up to thirty per cent—sufficient to feed an additional 100–150 million people.
Key Insights
• Ms. Anupama Madhok Sud, Director of Water Digest, emphasised how women-led initiatives from Nepal, Kenya, Malaysia, and Tajikistan have created resilient models of practice.• Dr. Marco Arcieri, President of ICID, affirmed that gender equity in water governance is an economic and social necessity, demonstrating how women’s leadership has delivered outstanding results in the WASH sector.
• Professor Waled Hassan M. Abou Elhassan, FAO RAP, highlighted initiatives across Asia where thousands of women farmers have been trained in water-saving technologies.
• Dr. Mikiko Sugiura from Sophia University, Japan, shared how women’s inclusion in Land Improvement Districts has dismantled male-dominated traditions and improved efficiency.
• Ms. Husnoro Saidova of GIZ Green Central Asia described Basin Women’s Forums in Tajikistan, which provide rural women platforms to participate in river basin councils.
• Dr. Narges Zohrabi, ICID Task Force Chairperson, underscored that meaningful influence rests on three pillars: developing capacity through training; strengthening institutional frameworks; and creating enabling environments.
The session concluded that women are central agents of transformation in irrigation and water governance. Empowering women is fundamental to ensuring the sustainability and resilience of irrigation systems worldwide.
