2026 World Water Day: Water, a source of equality and a catalyst for change

For 2026, World Water Day is focusing on the link between water and gender equality, with the theme ‘Water for Equality’.

Faced with the increasingly pressing risks of climate change, water-related disasters, funding shortfalls, social norms and governance gaps, everyone must play their full part in the shared management of water and the creation of a more resilient future.

These principles of equality and inclusion are of particular importance in water management. Indeed, women and girls bear the brunt of the consequences of water-related challenges for several reasons: persistent gendered roles, a lack of suitable infrastructure, under-representation in governance bodies, restricted access to funding, and so on.

For a long time, decisions and strategies in this area have been devised without properly taking into account the realities and needs of women and marginalised populations, even though these groups are often the primary actors in accessing, using and managing water on a daily basis, whether at home, in agriculture or within communities themselves.

That is why, to mark the occasion, events, awareness campaigns and local initiatives are being organised around the world, involving governments, institutions, businesses and citizens, with the aim of promoting innovative solutions and improved water governance.

The water sector plays a key role in addressing the challenges highlighted by World Water Day 2026. Whatever their roles – engineers, technicians, hydrogeologists, sanitation experts, etc. – professionals in the sector work daily to ensure equitable and sustainable access to drinking water, a major challenge given that the lack of drinking water and sanitation systems exacerbates inequalities, to the detriment of women and girls.

Governance, cooperation, financing, skills, etc.: the water sector encompasses a wide range of professions, and this diversity is reflected within our association’s own teams, which are made up of experts with varied and complementary backgrounds, enabling us to provide the best possible support to all stakeholders. OiEau is therefore giving a voice to these committed women! Discover, through their testimonies – as varied as their career paths – how they work every day to promote fairer and more sustainable water management.

Julie Magnier, Project Manager at OiEau, embodies a versatile profile combining technical expertise, project management and adaptability. Her role requires managerial, technical and linguistic skills, as well as a strong ability to adapt to working in an international and multicultural context.

Since late 2021, Sophie Comte has been heading up the Information and Knowledge Division at OiEau, where she leads a team dedicated to data and information on water and biodiversity. In three years, she has doubled the size of her team and broadened its skill set, and is now seeking to expand the division’s influence.

The role of Salomé Dijoux, a Data Engineer at OiEau, combines technical expertise, a passion for the environment and collaborative work. She acts as a vital link between subject matter experts and information systems, whilst actively contributing to major environmental challenges. Her career path illustrates the synergy between academic training, professional development and a commitment to the sustainable management of water resources.

The expertise of sociologist Anne-Paule Mettoux Petchimoutou enables the integration of social inclusion issues into certain OiEau initiatives, thereby ensuring more equitable and resilient resource management, and making water a true vehicle for social justice and human progress.

Laurène Debray, a geomatics specialist at OiEau, works in the Water Data and Reference Systems Administration Department (SANDRE), where she collects, analyses and disseminates water-related geographical data, combining it with sector-specific information to create decision-support tools. Acting as a bridge between sector experts and IT specialists, Laurène plays a key role in ensuring transparency and efficiency in water resource management.

Today, stakeholders in the water and environmental sectors are compelled to continually develop their expertise in order to tackle increasingly complex challenges. With this in mind, building skills through training is essential to ensuring that regions can adapt and that natural resources are preserved for the long term.

At the International Office for Water, whose long-standing mission is to “develop skills for better water management” at all levels, in France and around the world, no fewer than 35 expert trainers – both men and women – have been supporting water professionals for over 40 years in the process of improving and acquiring knowledge and skills for their teams.

Watch the video below to discover the role of Training and Research Officer at the OiEau, with Julie Reynaud.

OiEau’s expertise in training is widely recognised, particularly by key figures in the sector, such as Ms T’KOUTI of Veolia Water: "In 2024, more than 300 Veolia Water employees were trained in our areas of expertise: wastewater collection networks, drinking water distribution networks, drinking water plant production and water network works. The strength of this partnership lies in face-to-face learning on technical platforms, ensuring optimal mastery of trade skills. This hands-on approach, combined with personalised support, perfectly meets our challenges in developing and updating skills."

Drawing on its technical expertise and international network, OiEau supports public, private and non-profit organisations in implementing ambitious projects, particularly those funded by the European Union. These European projects, often focused on research, innovation and governance, aim to improve water resource management, strengthen cross-border cooperation and develop solutions tailored to contemporary climate and environmental challenges. Through an integrated approach, OiEau actively contributes to shaping sustainable policies and practices, whilst promoting the sharing of knowledge and best practices, particularly at European level.

From now on, the integration of gender considerations into these projects is an essential component. To meet these requirements, OiEau has drawn up a gender charter, which is systematically attached to its applications for European calls for proposals, thereby ensuring the methodical and transparent integration of this dimension into its approach.

At OiEau, many women hold key positions on these projects. This is the case for Sonia Siauve, Coordinator of the NATALIE project at OiEau, who presents the project’s objectives, as well as her ambitions and commitment to climate resilience, in a video.

You can also watch video testimonials from Sadika Bernard and Chloé Déchelette, who are in charge of Work Package 7 on communication strategy and the dissemination of NATALIE’s results, to ensure impact and engagement at all levels.

Since 2022, as part of the initiatives supported by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme, the award of funding has, for certain organisations, been conditional on the implementation of a Gender Equality Plan (GEP), reflecting the European commitment to a more equitable and representative approach.

According to the United Nations, ‘gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) is a concept that aims to improve access to livelihoods and services for ALL, including women, the poor and the excluded. It supports more inclusive policies and mindsets and strengthens the voice and influence of all, including women, the poor and the excluded. ”

Gender inequalities and social disparities often play a key role in access to water, participation in decisions relating to its management, and the ability to cope with shortages. Integrating a GESI approach helps to promote a more equitable distribution of the benefits of water policies and the active involvement of all stakeholders.

Supported by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, the Innwater project, coordinated by OiEau, aims to address a major challenge: reconciling water uses in a sustainable manner, whilst taking into account the local realities of stakeholders facing the impacts of climate change.

Its ambition? To stimulate social innovation in order to rethink water governance, by promoting a multi-level and cross-sectoral approach. Led by a consortium of 13 partners, InnWater aims to develop practical tools and services, co-created with stakeholders at five pilot sites. With this in mind, InnWater is committed to actively integrating GESI into all its activities, through a charter of five fundamental principles which can be found here.

World Water Day 2026 serves as a reminder of the urgent need to act collectively to ensure safe and equitable access to water for all, an essential prerequisite for achieving the SDGs. OiEau therefore reaffirms its commitment: to make water a lever for change, where equality goes hand in hand with resilience, and where every drop counts in building a fairer future.