KARACHI – Keeping in view of reduction in water resources due to climate change and increasing demand, the water experts have called for women’s involvement in water conservation awareness campaign, as they are the main users of domestic water.Simi Kamal, water expert and chairperson of Hisaar Foundation and Karachi Water Partnership (KWP) while talking to The Nation underlined the need of water conservation campaign at domestic level as women can follow and implement this drive successfully. The Hisaar Foundation organising a series of workshops in schools to create awareness among the children for water conservation as kids learns easily and influences their parents to follow the same, besides same kind of activities also being arranged for housewives to teach them the benefits of saving of water. She said that such events will provide a platform for women from different parts of Karachi to identify their problems as users of water, managers of domestic water and to develop their voice in city water issues. It also helped them to understand their role in IWRM, and water and sewerage issues in Karachi.She said that there was urgent need for women of Karachi to stand up and be heard as they are half of all consumers of water and managers of water in the household. Simi further said that evidence shows that the meaningful involvement of women in water resources development and management can help make projects more sustainable.She noted that the National Integrated Water Resources Management and water efficiency strategies and plans are an opportunity to enhance the equal participation, representation and rights of women in the water sector.Hamida Masood Shah- National Coordinator Women Water Network Pakistan while highlighting the role of network said that the South Asia Women and Water Network was essentially women’s only platforms designed to bring in women from all sectors of society, such that their voice can be effectively channeled into mainstream policies, discussions and actions relating to water. Farzana Saleem, Pakistan Cap.Net Coordinator giving a presentation on the background of IWRM and Introduction to Gender and IWRM said the water has always been “women’s work” in South Asia and they have been the main managers and users of domestic water. While men have managed the irrigation and agricultural sectors in terms of the income and defined inputs, women have also been the unpaid farm workers and micro managers. As such any shortages of water were likely to hit women first and hard, she said, adding that the feminisation of poverty in South Asia was already well documented and shortages of water add to the burden that women carry.She pointed out that the women’s voices in the water sector had been neglected and very often decisions were made that affected women’s lives adversely. Gender mainstreaming was a necessity to ensure that the water issues (as well as equity and justice issues), policies, strategies, programmes and actions be discussed, planned and implemented in ways that most support women and where the adverse impacts on women are minimised or curtailed, she proposed.She highlighted that the vision of the Karachi Water Partnership (KWP) is a Karachi with safe and sufficient water resources for all essential purposes. Its mission is to support the development of an environment friendly Karachi with focus on safe water, conservation and management of sewage, industrial and solid waste. KWP is an Urban Water Partnership (UWP) linked to the Global Water Partnership (GWP).