Gender equality and social inclusion

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) works to accelerate gender equality and social inclusion in water systems and water management. Our teams are dedicated to ensuring that women and men of all ages, specifically those in underrepresented and marginalized communities, have agency and are able to fully participate in water governance and agricultural resource management. Researchers perform gender analyses to gain better understanding of social and power relations across all groups and to promote successful and sustainable water solutions. 

IWMI aims to break barriers in water and agriculture by addressing gender inequality at its root — ensuring equal access to resources, knowledge, and opportunities. IWMI’s research and programs:

  • Empower women farmers through inclusive policies and financial access. 
  • Integrate youth and marginalized groups into water and agricultural decision-making. 
  • Drive innovation through gender-sensitive technologies and inclusive scaling approaches. 

Contact

Karen Nortje

Karen Nortje

Research Group Leader – Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)

Latest news on this topic

Latest publications on this topic

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Journal Article

Solar irrigation for adapting to climate change in cocoa farming: a choice experiment approach identifying Ghanaian farmers’ preferences

Elsevier | March, 2026
Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi; Quarmine, William; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Mitra, Archisman; Schmitter, Petra
Open Access
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Report

Water financing: scaling up finance to the Water, Energy, Food and Environment (WEFE) Nexus

International Water Management Institute | January 20th, 2026
Ravindranath, Darshini; Steele, P.
Open Access
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Preprint

Towards operational streamflow forecasting in the Limpopo River Basin using long short-term memory networks

January 11th, 2026
Tlhomole, James; Borgomeo, E.; Matheswaran, Karthikeyan; Garcia Andarcia, Mariangel
Open Access