Mekong Community Institute (MCI) MCI will host the Asia Women Rivers Congress (WRC) which is scheduled in June 2024, it is a significant event that aims to address the gender inequalities and social exclusion in water resource management and promote the active participation of women in decision-making processes.

The first global Women and River Congress, held in March 2019 in Nargakot, Nepal, was co-convened by International Rivers, Oxfam, and its partners. The event brought together close to 100 women from more than 30 countries to celebrate the fundamental role women play in defending and stewarding freshwater resources, as well as spur collective action to challenge the deep-rooted, gender inequalities that women face in safeguarding rives and river ecosystems. The congress resulted in a roadmap for action, focusing on three key areas : (i) Generating Knowledge and Influencing; (ii) Strengthening the Movement and Collaboration for Change via the Women and Rivers Accelerator program (for women in Asia and Africa) ; (iii) Framing the Narrative and Telling Our Stories

Building upon the success of the first Congress, Oxfam planned for a follow up Women and Rivers Congress in the Mekong Delta, Vietnamin March 2020.  However, the event was impacted due to COVID-19 outbreak. Three online webinar series were held in June, July, and September 2020 to provide online platforms for the women leaders to meet, discuss, and exchange ideas. A total of 165 participants attended.

Oxfam and its partners now plan to hold another Asia Women andRivers Congress with the specific focus on river basins suchas the Mekong, Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins in South Asia and key tributaries where transboundary issues related to rivers are critical.

Oxfam and its partners have extensive experience working with multiple stakeholders in Asia, particularly in the Mekong and Salween River basins. Their work has highlighted the importance of creating space for women to participate and influence decision-making processes related to water resource management. When women are empowered to engage in such processes, more equitable and inclusive outcomes are achieved for both men and women, boys and girls at all levels of society  . For instance, at village level, Oxfamfacilitated inclusive multi-stakeholders discussions where women's perspectives were valued. As a result, women's insights were incorporated into policies, leading to improved access to clean water sources and participated in water quality monitoring board and practices in the villages.

The urgency of strategies to address climate change and the role women’s knowledge and agency can play hasdeveloped since the 2020 Congress and will be included in the 2024 Congress. We recognise the existing power imbalances that exist in water governance andresponses to climate change and that opportunities and space for women's perspectives in decision-making processes are essential to positive outcomes.  By strengthening the Movement and Collaboration for Change that has developed and been strengthened since the Nagarkot Congress, grassroots alliances with women and their communities have been formed to integrate support from different stakeholders. Examples where women leaders have played a crucial role in the development and implementation of legal and policy frameworks and the power to influence public opinion and decision makers through women telling their own stories are strategies that have generated positive results since Nagarkot.  Oxfam and its partners now plan to create a further opportunity forwomen across the region to come together to share their experiences, learn from each other and advocate for women’s total participation in river management. Traditional, social, and multimedia channels will be utilized to expand the dialogue to includeactors from boththe Mekong and GBM Basin in South Asia region. We will build on existing partnerships and networks operating at different levels and will focus on fostering solidarity and transboundary cooperation between women leaders in riverine communities with a vision for women’s increased participation and decision making in water governance.

OBJECTIVE
Overall objective:
The Asia Women and Rivers Congress will provide a holistic and inclusive platform on ecofeminism for women and contribute to driving progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) on gender equality and empowerment, while advancing Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on clean waterand sanitation  ; and Sustainable Development Goal 13 on combatting climate change andits impacts

The Congress event, preparatory community- based activities in the lead up and dissemination of the outcomes will contribute to promoting social inclusion, sustainable water governance, smart climate change practices, and the interconnectedness of environmental and gender justice through
fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and transformative action.

Expected Outcomes
• A report for the event of Women River Congress 2024.
• A collection of Inspiring Stories Book from women champions in the field of conservation and river management (could be in the form of a booklet, video testimonials, or an online platform)
• A Solidarity Manifesto (including Vision and Action Plan) for connecting Rivers across Boundaries: A vision statement and action plan developed in collaboration with workshop participants. It couldinclude recommendations for policy changes, capacity-building initiatives, and collaborative projects.

Tentative themes (subjectedto change and decide by WRC committee later)
This is only temporary suggestion. The WRC Committee will work and choose the officialthemes in later stage of preparation. There are two groups of themes for reference as below:

Option 1 : reflect the intersection of gender, water governance,and climate change in regional contexts in the Mekong and Asia region, emphasizing the importance of recognizing women's roles, addressing gender inequalities, promoting inclusive participation, and integrating diverse knowledge systems for effective andsustainable water management.
• Access to water and sanitation
• Gendered division of labor
• Climate change and water-related vulnerabilities
• Women's participation and leadership
• Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices

Option 2: groupingis basing on the key issues related to water governance in the Mekong Basin  and from that promoting role of women as following. The content during the WRC will highlight the complex and interconnected nature of water governance in the Mekong Basin,requiring transboundary cooperation, integrated approaches, and the consideration of multiple stakeholders' needs and interests, especially women and vulnerable groups. Effective water governance in the region requires balancing competing demands, promotingsustainable practices, and addressing the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of water management:
• Hydropower development
• Water scarcityand variability
• Transboundary water management and climate change adaptation
• Ecosystem health and biodiversity
• Livelihoods and food security and climate change adaptation

METHODOLOGY
The Congress will employ a participatory and inclusive approach, utilizing a range of methodologies to foster meaningful engagement and exchange of knowledge amongparticipants, including but not limit to:

• Breakout Rooms: The Congress will feature breakout sessions led by different stakeholders with expertise in the topic of water resource management. Participants will be divided into smaller groups to encourage active participation and focused discussions. Each breakout room will have a specific theme or aspect of water resource management to explore, allowing participants to delve deeper into the subject matter and share their insights and experiences.
• Plenary Sessions: Plenary sessions will provide a platform for participants to come together and share the outcomes of their breakout discussions. This will enable cross-pollination of ideas and foster collective learning. Facilitators will guide theplenarysessions to ensure that key points and recommendations from each breakoutroom are captured and discussed, promoting a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
• Creative Methodologies: To stimulate innovative thinking and active engagement, creative methodologies such as Forum Theatre will be employed. Forum Theatre involves interactive performances where participants can actively engage with the presented scenarios, exploring different perspectives and generating solutions. This approach encourages critical thinking, empathy, and dialogue, enabling participants to reflect on complex water resource management challenges and identify potential approaches for addressing them.
• Creative Interaction: The workshop will incorporate interactive activities and exercises that encourage participants to share their experiences, perspectives, and best practices.These may include group discussions, brainstorming sessions, role plays, and case studies. Such interactive elements will foster peer learning,enhance networking opportunities, and promote a deeper understanding of the diverse contexts and challenges related to water resource management.
• Media Integration: The workshop will explore the use of various media tools to facilitate knowledge sharing and communication. This may involve multimedia presentations, videos, infographics, and interactive digital platforms. These media elements will help convey complex information in a visually appealing and accessible manner, enhancing participant engagement andunderstanding.

By combining these methodologies, the Congress aims to create a dynamic and inclusive space where participants can actively contribute, learn from one another, and collectively develop innovative strategies and solutions for effective water resource management.