'Equity, Diversity and Inclusion' for women in science
By A Draft Correspondent
The 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly, taking place on 11 February 2022 in a virtual format from the UN Headquarters in New York, aims to recognise the role of women and girls in science, not only as beneficiaries but also as agents of change, including in view of accelerating progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 that ensures 'Clean Water and Sanitation'.
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The 2022 theme for the assembly is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Water Unites Us. It must be noted that several UN reports point out that billions of people around the world will be unable to access safely managed household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in 2030 unless access progress rates quadruple. Rising demand, poor management and failure to conserve water resources, compounded by climate change, represent key challenges, urgently requiring a new sustainable holistic approach to support aligning strategies on water.
This year, the 7th Assembly will bring together women in science and experts from around the world, high-level government officials, representatives of international organisations and the private sector to discuss the water nexus in achieving the three pillars of sustainable development - economic prosperity, social justice and environmental integrity.
The assembly will showcase best practices, strategies, applied solutions and experiences in addressing SDG 6 challenges and opportunities through the Cansu Global Media Room. It will also feature, for the first time, a unique Ebru Water Art Performance to celebrate the 7th Anniversary of the #February11 Global Movement.
The 7th Assembly is co-organised by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) and the Permanent Missions of Cyprus, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Tajikistan to the United Nations. It is co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Bhutan, Chile, Ecuador, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Mexico, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, San Marino and Uzbekistan to the United Nations.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN-Water and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are also co-sponsors of the assembly.
In fulfillment of its commitment to the UN International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development, RASIT launched a new global program called 'Cansu Global', looking at sustainable development through a water lens. Cansu Global provides bespoke solutions for complex water challenges in order to further economic prosperity, social justice and environmental integrity.
UN Member States are also taking action in this regard. For instance, Portugal is organiaing a High-Level Symposium on Water during the 2nd UN Ocean Conference, which it is co-hosting with Kenya, in Lisbon, from 27 June to 1 July 2022, as a means of promoting an integrated vision of the water cycle. Tajikistan is holding the Second High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028, in June 2022, in Dushanbe.
In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/212 declaring 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
