"It's important to mobilize women. We have to get involved in decision making process, in water management," said Virginia Setshedi, during a panel discussion titled "Women and Water," at the Alternative Water Forum in Istanbul, quoting women's experience in the struggle against the commercialization of water in south Africa.   

In an interview with bianet, Setshedi –a member of the African Water Network- explained that women first joined local organizations and when those organizations took the right to water into their agenda, they got involved in this struggle.

"Those who are most affiliated with water are women. Therefore, they can run the water," Setshedi added. "If we let the commercialization of water, we would have to get used to live like there is no water."

She states that, women's personal needs to hygiene with water, health services involving water and water itself differ from those of men. Setshedi insist that access to water and food must be handled together. She explains how in her country –where 2 million people lack access to water- women were forced into a dilemma, when they were forced to decide between giving their money to food or to water, following the installation of prepaid water meters at their homes by corporations.

As women organized and reacted, anti-privatization campaigns began with the motto "Destroy the meters and enjoy free water" and people began obstructing the installation of water-meters. As a result, privatization of water failed in South Africa.

At the panel, Germany based Ecomujer members Monika Schierenberg and Kristine Karch, denoted that women have a traditional knowledge on water management because of gender roles and care services at home. They urged that water management must be based on local experiences rather than a centralized body.

Hacire Özdemir from Democratic Women Movement explained how dam projects in southeastern Turkey led to the forced migration of thousands of people. Such initiatives affect women the most, she concluded. (TK/AGÜ)