Microsoft word - water_gender_course_final brochure_4-1.docx

The Role of Gender in Water and Development
The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and
The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center
October 25th through November 6th, 2010
Program Introduction

Water is a gendered resource, and, in many communities, both men and women have distinctly
different perspectives regarding water issues. In developing countries, women and female
children do the majority of household water collection, traveling an average of six kilometers
each day for water (MDG report 2008; UN 2005). This time is not spent at school, a job, or any
other social activity. The use of a gender-sensitive approach to water issues can identify
potential barriers to sustainable development and help to adopt measures to improve
livelihoods (UNDESA 2005). Israel has always considered investment in training women to be
central to sustainable development. The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training
Center (MCTC), one of MASHAV’s earliest affiliate training institutions, has addressed the
connection between gender, poverty reduction and sustainable development for over 40 years.
In recognition of the critical need to address water and gender issues in sustainable
development, MCTC, in collaboration with the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies
(AIES) is offering a course on the role of gender in water and development.
The role of gender in water issues has been internationally recognized. The third Dublin
Principle states that “women play a central part in the provision, management and
safeguarding of water.” Millennium Development Goal 3 is to “promote gender equality and
empower women” and Goal 7, Target 3 is to “halve by 2015, the proportion of the population
without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.” These international
commitments reinforce the need for gender-sensitivity in water and development throughout
the world.
This training program, to be held at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, located on Kibbutz Ketura in the south of Israel, provides an opportunity for mid-level professionals from the private and public sector to gain knowledge in the role of gender-sensitivity in water and development through topics such as: the water life cycle; water sources and storage; potable and non-potable uses of water; sanitation, health, and hygiene; water management issues; water and economics; water and irrigation; water rights and ownership; gender and development; gender roles in family and community; gender needs- a base for development policies and projects; enhancing women's decision making role in water management. The training program will utilize the extensive knowledge of water management at AIES in conjunction with MCTC’s expertise on gender issues to provide a complete analysis of water and gender issues. Target Audience
This training program is intended for mid-level professionals, both women and men, working for government, non-governmental organizations - including such relevant UN organizations as UNDP, FAO and IFAD, the “Water for Life” Initiative, the World Bank, decision-making sectors, academia or the private sector. The applicants should have at least five years experience in the water and/or community development sector. The program will be held in English. It is essential that the participants have a high level of reading, writing and speaking in English. Our expectation is that a program of this type will be especially appealing to English-speaking countries in Africa, as well as other countries. Applicants residing in the European Union are not eligible for scholarships. Participants should have at least the equivalent of a university degree or professional diploma. Specific Objectives of the Workshop
– Improve the participants’ knowledge of water issues. – Improve the participants’ knowledge of gender and the role of gender-sensitivity in water and development. – Improve the capacity of the participants’ home country to develop and effectively apply relevant strategies to address the issues identified in the course. – Provide participants with expert advice on specific questions they may have regarding gender issues in water and development. Workshop Overview
The workshop includes lectures and presentations, and field trips. The specific order of lectures and field trips is flexible, and the lectures may be integrated into the field trips as well. Dr. Clive Lipchin, of the Arava Institute, and Ms. Fannette Modek, from the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center, will facilitate the lectures and field trips. Ms. Fannette Modek is the Senior Advisor to MASHAV on gender issues and served as the director of MCTC from 1987 to 1997. Dr. Clive Lipchin is the director of the Arava Institute’s Center for Environmental Policy and Research as well as a member of the Arava Institute’s teaching faculty. Dr. Lipchin was the senior editor of Integrated Water Resources Management in the Middle East, published by Springer Scientific Publishers of the Netherlands. The course will be taught with a technical water module, community development-based gender module, and finally an integrated module of both water and gender components. The workshop is potentially a collaborative partnership with the International Federation for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Course Schedule
Day and Date
Description
Participants arrive at Arava Institute, check-in at Keren Kolot (kibbutz guest rooms). Tour of kibbutz and Arava Institute Welcome and introduction to the course. (introduce and describe personal project activity) Overview of water issues Overview of gender issues Water sources – access, quality, distribution, use – potable and Swimming in the Dead Sea (weather allowing) Community development in Israel’s Negev region Water and Sustainable Agriculture Water and Public Health Course evaluation Home hospitality with kibbutz families (optional) Participant attendance at the Third International Conference on Drylands, Deserts and Desertification: The Route to
Restoration, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sde Boqer
Campus, Israel
Field Trips:
The course will include a number of field trips. A two-day trip will be organized to the holy city of Jerusalem as well as to the Dead Sea. Participants will tour the Dead Sea region and learn about measures being taken to halt the water level decline of the Dead Sea. Depending on weather conditions, participants will be able to experience floating on the Dead Sea’s waters. The group will continue to Jerusalem and stay there for two nights. The time will include a guided tour of the holy sites of the three religions of Jerusalem and free time. In addition, there will be one or two day trips in the southern Arava to visit sites appropriate to the course focus and a free evening in the seaside city of Eilat. Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, known as MASHAV in its Hebrew acronym, was founded in 1958 as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is responsible for initiating and implementing Israel's development cooperation program worldwide. MASHAV aims at transferring the expertise and technologies that have assisted Israel in its own path to development to other countries. Today, Israel cooperates with over 140 countries, providing training in Israel and abroad, operating on-site demonstration projects and building medical infrastructure in partner countries. MASHAV is active in fields ranging from agriculture to medicine and from community development to entrepreneurship. The Golda Meir Mount Carmel Training Center – MCTC
The Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCTC), established in Haifa in 1961, is one of MASHAV's first training centers. It was founded in order to train professional women and men from developing countries and transitional societies, providing them with the necessary tools for women's empowerment. The Center's underlying philosophy stresses the importance of bottom-up, grassroots-led development and the recognition of women's contribution to their countries' development. MCTC methodology incorporates a strongly "hands-on" approach, wherever possible based on observation visits, case studies presented by participants from their own work experience and problem solving through simulation exercises. MCTC cooperates with a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations (ACWF, CCBCC, Soros), international aid agencies (USAID, OAS, IDB, GIFRID, WBI), international women's organizations (Soroptimist International, Women's Mediterranean Forum, International Council of Women) and United Nations specialized agencies such as ILO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNCTAD and UNDP. The Arava Institute
The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is the premier environmental teaching and research program in the Middle East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s environmental challenges. Located in the heart of Israel’s Arava desert, the Arava Institute is a unique oasis of environmental education, research, and international cooperation. Students and researchers at the Arava Institute explore a range of environmental issues from a regional, interdisciplinary perspective while learning peace-building and leadership skills. The studies are international in scope, with a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis, and North Americans, as well as other nationalities. The Arava Institute gives Jewish, Arab and other students and researchers a unique opportunity to study and live together for an extended period of time; building networks and understanding that will enable future cooperative work and activism in the Middle East and beyond. Here, the idea that nature knows no political borders is more than a belief. It is a fact, a curriculum, and a way of life. Accommodations
Participants will stay in Keren Kolot, the guesthouse of Kibbutz Ketura, located nearby the offices and classrooms of the Arava Institute. The facilities include large air-conditioned rooms with kitchenette, private bathrooms, and cable television. The participants will be housed two to a double room. Kibbutz Ketura is a collective community, located in the Arava valley of Israel. It is approximately 50 kilometers from the Red Sea resort city of Eilat in the south of Israel. In October-November, the weather will be mild to warm; temperatures will range from around 25-35°C during the day and down to about 15°C at night. For more information on Kibbutz Ketura, you can access the website at: http://ketura.org.il/ All meals are provided in the kosher dining facilities of Kibbutz Ketura. The lobby café of the guesthouse offers free computer use and free wireless Internet accessibility for laptop users. All facilities are accessible to the physically disabled. Staff members of the Institute will be available to assist the participants when needed. Participants are advised to bring suitable clothing and comfortable shoes for field trips. A more detailed list of suggested clothing and other items to bring will be sent to participants with the acceptance packet. Professional Criteria
At the beginning of the course we would like each participant to make a presentation about the water situation in their home country or local region. A detailed description of the projects you are involved in will be of great interest to your fellow participants. You may therefore wish to bring information with you about projects dealing with this topic in your country. Our technical facilities will be available to assist you. You can prepare a PowerPoint presentation or a written presentation or other. Please let us know ahead of your arrival what you will need for your presentation (computer projector, printing and so on). At the end of the course, participants will be asked, according to groups of interest, to make a short, concise presentation outlining a project that they would like to implement or an innovation they would like to introduce in their work responsibilities, upon their return to their country. A full day is scheduled for preparation of this and AIES staff will be available to help with technical issues. In addition, on the last day of the course, participants will be presented with a certificate confirming their completion of the course. A final request to participants: one of the programs included in the schedule is a ‘Cultural Evening’ - to give participants the opportunity to present their country and culture to the other course participants, the students and staff of the Arava Institute and the members of Kibbutz Ketura. During past courses, these evenings have been extremely enjoyable. To prepare for this, you might want to bring a flag, music, a video or clothing that represents your culture. If time and budget allow, participants may be able to prepare food items that are distinctive to their country. Travel, Visas and Applications
International travel costs are the responsibility of the candidate and their sponsoring
organization. Course costs within Israel are covered by MASHAV. However, MASHAV does
not provide money for incidentals. Passports must be valid for the length of the course and
include a visa for Israel.
Application forms for the course can be obtained through the Israeli diplomatic or consular
representatives in the applicant’s country. These representatives can also assist with questions
regarding the application process, including a required medical check-up, recommendations
from appropriate authorities and so on.
Medical insurance covers medical services and hospitalization in case of emergency while
participants are in Israel. It does not cover the treatment of chronic or serious diseases, specific
medications taken by the participant on a regular basis, dental care, eyeglasses or the period of
pregnancy. If you take a medication regularly, you must bring enough to cover your entire stay.
Kibbutz Ketura is located approximately four hours by bus or taxi from Ben-Gurion
International Airport. We will organize a number of transports (mini-bus or taxi) from the
airport to the kibbutz. Participants may have to wait at the airport for a few hours for other
participants to join them. More specific details will be sent with the acceptance packet.

Source: http://www.internationalwaterlaw.org/calendar/Events/Water_Gender_Course_Brochure_30_7_10.pdf