29 August 2017: The World Bank has published a report titled, ‘The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender,’ which characterizes water as “an asset, a service and a space” and illustrates how water can “reflect and even reinforce” gender inequality. The report, launched during World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality (SDG 5) and the Goal on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6).

The World Bank highlights that the report shows how water often reflects, and even reinforces, gender inequality. Following an introductory chapter, the second chapter of the book discusses water as both an asset and a liability. The third chapter looks at water as a service from the perspective of men and of women. The next section discusses water as space, while the fifth chapter explores who drives change.

Norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies.

In their forward to the publication, Guangzhe Chen and Caren Grown note that the report “offers a framework for visualizing water as an asset, a service, and a space.” They discuss how the analysis reveals that “norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies.” Overall, the main message of the publication is that water-related interventions can impact gender inequality, and it examines their intended and unintended consequences.

Speaking on the publication, Senior Director of the World Bank Water Global Practice Guangzhe Chen said that he believes, “this report will help those who want to advance social inclusion in water, close gender gaps, and lift those, who all too often, are left behind or left out.”

World Water Week is convening from 27 August to 1 September 2017. [World Bank Press Release] [Publication Landing Page] [Publication: The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender]