Women for Water Partnership and Sharon Kleyne Call for Greater Women’s Role in Global Water Issues
Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) August 28, 2014 -- Women must play a greater role in resolving international water issues, according to two leading global authorities on the subject of women and water. Water researcher and radio host Sharon Kleyne, and Kathy Kelly of the Women for Water Partnership and United Nations-Water agree that when water issues are discussed women must be at the table. Kathy Kelly was interviewed by Kleyne on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show of August 25, 2014.
Kathy Kelly became involved with global water issues as a result of her involvement with the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW). This led to involvement with the Netherlands based Women for Water Partnership (WWP), an international association of water oriented women’s organizations. Both BPW and WWP are adjunct organizations with UN-Water, a United Nations development agency. Kelly has worked on water issues in Afghanistan and South Africa.
Sharon Kleyne is Founder of Bio Logic Aqua Research, a global research and technology center specializing in and fresh water, the atmosphere and the effects of dehydration. Nature’s Tears® EyeMist® is their signature product for dry eyes. Kleyne’s globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show is heard on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes.
Like Kelly, Kleyne also has global experience with woman and water. In addition to her many innovative contributions to water research, technology and international business, Kleyne has long been a women’s advocate in areas involving business and water. Through her radio show, articles, press releases and personal appearances, Kleyne is fulfilling her mission to educate the world about the critical importance of water to all life, and the power of women to change the world.
Despite livelong involvement in water and women’s issues, Kleyne was startled, when she first became aware of the Women for Water Partnership, at the large number of educated, high powered and effective women who are already involved. Many of these women come from rural villages in developing nations. Kleyne was also surprised and pleased to learn that the United Nations recognizes and encourages this involvement.
The reason women bring so much to the table, according to Kleyne and Kelly, is that women are more profoundly affected than men by water shortages and lack of sanitation. In most poor rural villages in Africa, South and Central America, the Middle East and Asia, it is the job of women to fetch water, prepare food and care for children. This has traditionally precluded women from becoming involved with their community or attending school.
Even if they could go to school, Kelly explains, if the school lacks sanitary facilities, as many do, the girls would have to drop out when they reached puberty. According to Kelly, there are two reasons for this. First, the girls would be unable to attend during menses. Second, relieving themselves in the bushes outside the school exposes them not only to the possibility of rape but the probability. Sadly, this is also true for young girls who stay home.
Women have a unique ability to bring people together say Kleyne and Kelly. This is important with water issues because solutions in one location invariably affect people upstream and downstream. Men are excellent dam builders, Kleyne notes, but she believes that women have a greater tendency to nurturer and to bring people together.
Kleyne believes that water is the basis for all life on Earth and that there are similarities between the absorption, collection, utilization and recycling of water by the body and by the planet. To discover how to live in harmony with Earth’s natural processes while meeting human needs, says Kleyne, we need only look inside our own bodies. No two people are alike and no two areas of the world are alike. Each has the potential to profoundly affect the others around them and each is also dependent on all the others.
Kelly’s final words: The wheel has many spokes and she encourages women – and men – to pick a spoke, climb on and start pushing. Together, says Kelly, we can make the world a better place, for humans and for all life.
Mikaylah Roggasch, Bio Logic Aqua Research-Rogue Media, http://www.biologicaqua.com, +1 (800) 367-6478, [email protected]
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