WORKSHOP ON THE FORMATION OF NILE WOMEN NETWORK IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGOON THE 21th September, 2022.

under the support of the NBD, the DRCNDF held a workshop on the formation of Nile women Network in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 21th September 2022 in Butembo city.

It all started with the national anthem and then the presentation on the objectives of the workshop in the context of the management and improvement of water resources by the National Technical Support Expert.

After the presentation of these points above, the floor was given to Mrs. Mabanza Odile, the person in charge of gender, family and children in the city of Butembo. then she solemnly opened the workshop as the representative of the state authority at the local level.

Objectives

The general objective of this workshop is to mobilize grassroots Women members of the DRCNDF and raise their awareness on the Flood and Drought Risk Mitigation Thematic area of ​​the Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience (NCCR) project and on the need for the establishment of the National Nile Women Network (NNWN) that will advocate for women’s rights in the water sector in Dr Congo.

Gender challenges in the management of water resources in the Congolese Nile basin

Discrimination based on gender in the Congolese Nile has reached its climax given the very absence of women in decision-making bodies, even in water management. Women in the Nile basin, being mostly in rural areas, are daily users of water in different areas and especially in their households. However, she  is also among the water polluters because it does not have any notion of sustainable water management. She has no idea about the origins of the water, the causes of the insufficiency as well as the consequences that the deficiency can cause. it is for this reason that this woman must be actively involved in the sustainable management of water through her participation in decision-making bodies, awareness and training so that she appropriates sustainable water management. and that it raises the tone in the prevention of floods and drought

Themes presented by the speakers

A total of four speakers had to present the themes during the training workshop of the Nile women’s network for sustainable water management. The themes developed and the speakers are as follows:

    • Collaborative policy of the ibn (Nile basin initiative: government) and the NBD (civil society) on women and water management for environmental sustainability and climate resilience by Mr kakulere Théodore, environment and sustainable development supervisor territory from Beni
    • Increasing women’s participation in decision-making and negotiations on water management (by Ms. Mbambu Luvuno Dévote, Gender Representative
    • Women, sustainability and better water management, causes and consequences of water scarcity and possible solutions (by Mr Mumbere Kahunde Sadiki, National Office of Rural Hydrology, ONHR)
    • Actions to be taken to mitigate vulnerabilities causing gender imbalance in the water sector (by Ms. Katungu Thérèse, National Gender Expert)After the presentation of the above cited themes, participants have been divided in workgroups to discuss about actions to take for a sustainable management of water within the women’s network .

The elected steering committee of the women’s network

Thus, at the end of this secret ballot voting process, members of the Steering Committee of the Congolese Nile Basin Women’s Network were elected:

  1. Mrs. KAKULE KATUNGU Thérèse was unanimously elected president of the women’s network;
  2. Mrs. Béatrice DIVE LOSSI was unanimously elected vice-president of the women’s network
  3. Mrs. MUTANGI JOSEPHINE was unanimously elected secretary of the women’s network.
  4. The gender focal point: 6 gender focal points will be elected due to one woman per territory (territory of Rutshuru, Lubero, Beni, Djugu, Irumu, and Mahagi)In total, the Steering Committee of the Congolese Nile Basin Women’s Network will have 9 members.

Conclusion

The workshop on the formation of the Nile women’s network in the Democratic Republic of Congo was a very good opportunity to popularize the participation of women in decision-making bodies in the sustainable management of water and the fight against floods, drought and other disasters related to climate change. This women’s network in the DRC brings more to the promotion of gender in the good management of water resources. However, the success of this sustainable water management will depend on the good sensitization of women within the Congolese community as well as the execution of development projects relating to the involvement of women in the Congolese region of the Nile basin in the sustainable water management.