World Water Day 2026: Water and Gender

To mark World Water Day 2026, UNU-IAS will co-organize an online seminar exploring ways to mainstream gender in water and sanitation issues. Celebrated annually on 22 March, World Water Day is a UN Day of Observance with a core focus on supporting the achievement of SDG 6 (water and sanitation for all), raising awareness of the 2.1 billion people living without access to safe water.

The theme for 2026 is Water and Gender. The global water crisis affects everyone, but not equally. Where people lack the rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt. Too often, the systems that govern water leave women and girls out of decision-making, leadership, funding and representation. This webinar will discuss transformative, rights-based approaches to solving these challenges, where women’s voices are heard and their agency recognized.

Participation & Registration

This event will be held online. To participate, please register in advance to receive a Zoom link. 

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Language

This event will be held in English.

Organizers

The event is co-organized by UNU-IAS, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Tokyo office, Institute for Global Health Policy Research (iGHP), Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), the University of Tokyo (TBC) and Waseda University Institute for Global Health. 

Programme

Subject to change

16:00–16:05 Opening Remarks

• Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS)

16:05–16:25 Priority Issues in Achieving SDG 6

Human Rights Perspective to Water and Health 

• Yasushi Katsuma (Academic Programme Advisor, UNU-IAS; Professor, Waseda University)

Gender Perspective on Water

• Eiko Narita (Chief, Representation Office in Japan, UNFPA)

Environmental Perspective on Water 

• Pham Ngoc Bao (Research Director, Sustainable Consumption and Production Area, IGES)

Disaster Risk Reduction Perspective on Water

• Miko Maekawa (Senior Research Fellow, SPF)

Engineering Perspective on Water

• Kensuke Fukushi (Director, IFI, The University of Tokyo)

16:25–16:55 Panel Discussion

16:55–17:00 Closing Remarks

• Yasushi Katsuma