Women, Water, and Extractivism: Reclaiming Resources, Restoring Rights, Building Justice

Thursday, 20 March, 2025 | 8:30-10:00 AM EDT

Organized by the NGO Mining Working Group

The extraction of natural resources often results in environmental degradation, including pollution and depletion of water resources. Women, especially in rural and indigenous communities, bear the brunt of these impacts as primary managers of household and community water supplies. According to data from the World Health Organization, over 1.8 billion people worldwide live in households without accessible water supplies and in 7 out of 10 of these households, women and girls aged 15 and older are primarily responsible for collecting water¹. Beyond this unequal distribution of work, girls and women often face displacement, loss of livelihoods, and heightened vulnerability to violence when water crises occur. Cultural norms and structural inequalities continue to exclude women from land ownership, access to resources, and participation in decision-making processes.

Despite these challenges, women have emerged as pivotal leaders in resistance movements and advocacy for sustainable policies that safeguard their rights and the environment. Women possess a deep understanding of their local ecosystems, honed through generations of managing common goods for their families and communities. Imagine the positive environmental impacts that could be achieved if their knowledge and leadership were fully harnessed.

This parallel event, held during the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women and ahead of World Water Day, seeks to illuminate the intersectional challenges faced by women in resource-extractive regions. The event will focus on the gendered impacts of extractivism on water rights and access, as well as the critical leadership roles women play in addressing these issues. At the 30-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, this event will discuss the measures needed to accelerate the achievement of global commitments on environmental justice and gender equality.

This event will

• feature a dynamic panel discussion with women leaders, activists, and policymakers from resource-extractive regions.
• Panelists will share lived experiences, innovative solutions, and policy recommendations.
• The session will also include a Q&A segment to foster audience engagement and collaborative dialogue.

¹ WHO “Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000–2022: special focus on gender”