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Annex 2: International Norms and Standards on Water Governance, Food Security and Gender Equality¹⁹

Non-Binding International Agreements: Water and Sustainable Development

Two of the strongest statements on the rights of women to participate in water governance include the Dublin Principles (1992) and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2002). Principle 3 of the Dublin Principles highlights that women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water. It specifically requires “… positive policies to address women’s specific needs and to equip and empower women to participate at all levels in water resources programmes, including decision-making and implementation, in ways defined by them” (emphasis added). Principle 2 provides that “Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policy-makers at all levels.” In addition, Principle 20 of the Rio Declaration (1992) states “Women have a vital role in environmental management and development. Their full participation is therefore essential to achieve sustainable development.” Agenda 21 (1992) also addresses the themes of food security, women and sustainable development, and water management and contains a specific chapter on women and sustainable development (Chapter 24) and a specific chapter on water management (Chapter 18).
Similarly, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation includes agreement by governments to “… support capacity building for water and sanitation infrastructure and services development, ensuring that such infrastructure and services meet the needs of the poor and are gender sensitive” (para. 24 (a)). It further commits governments to “facilitate access to public information and participation, including by women, at all levels, in support of policy and decision-making related to water resources management and project implementation” (emphasis added, para. 24 (b)). It also highlights that “enhancing the role of women at all levels and in all aspects of rural development, agriculture, nutrition and food security is imperative” (para. 38) and requires enhancing “the participation of women in all aspects and at all levels relating to sustainable agriculture and food security” (para. 38 (f)).

Non-Binding International Agreements: Gender Equality

While the Beijing Platform for Action (1995) does not per se elucidate the inter-connection between water, food security and agriculture, it does call for governments to promote knowledge and research on the role of women, particularly rural and indigenous women, in irrigation and watershed management and commits governments to “develop a strategy for change to eliminate all obstacles to women’s full and equal participation in sustainable development and equal access to and control over resources” (emphasis added, strategic objective K.2, para. 256 (g)).

Non-Binding International Agreements: Food Security

Objective 1.2 of the Rome Declaration on World Food Security (1996) commits governments to “establish legal and other mechanisms, as appropriate, that advance land reform, recognize and protect property, water, and user rights, to enhance access for the poor and women to resources.” (para. 15 (b)). Moreover, while women are referenced repeatedly within the Declaration, Objective 1.3 specifically seeks to ensure gender equality and empowerment of women and lays out various provisions in this regard (para. 16). Similarly, Commitment 1 of the corresponding World Food Summit Plan of Action states “We will ensure an enabling political, social, and economic environment designed to create the best conditions for the eradication of poverty and for durable peace, based on full and equal participation of women and men, which is most conducive to achieving sustainable food security for all.”
The Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food (2004) integrate gender equality throughout and provide a specific Guideline on access to resources and assets. Guideline 8 includes sub-sections addressing land (Guideline 8B) and water (Guideline 8C) and in relation to women provides that “States should promote women’s full and equal participation in the economy and, for this purpose, introduce, where it does not exist, and implement gender-sensitive legislation providing women with the right to inherit and possess land and other property. States should also provide women with secure and equal access to, control over, and benefits from productive resources, including credit, land, water and appropriate technologies” (para. 8.6, see also para. 8.10).
The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (2012) embrace gender equality as one of the main guiding ‘principles of implementation,’ and stress the importance of compliance between all programmes, policies and technical assistance and the international human rights framework. However, due to the complicated nature of the questions addressed, the Guidelines do not address water governance. However, it is helpful to also look specifically at the Technical Guide on Governing Land for Women and Men, developed by FAO (FAO 2013c), which provides important guidance on the implementation principle of gender equality found in the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, and provides specific guidance on irrigation and watershed management.
The Global Strategic Framework on Food Security and Nutrition (third version, 2014²⁰) gives special attention to women farmers and recognizes that “Women make vital contributions to the food security and nutrition of developing countries, but they consistently enjoy less access than men to the resources and opportunities for being more productive farmers” (p. 21). It recognizes continuing insecurity of land tenure and access to land, water and other natural resources, particularly for women farmers (p. 8) and encourages secure and equitable access to, and sustainable use of, natural resources, including water, for women and men without distinction (p. 24). The Global Strategy Framework makes a range of gender-sensitive policy recommendations aimed at improving food security and improving women’s roles in agriculture.