South Africa and Egypt Convene Women Water Experts to Deepen Transboundary Cooperation

Two water ministers, one from the southern tip of Africa and one from the northeast, logged into the same virtual room this week to talk about women and shared rivers. South Africa's Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, and Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hani Sewilam, co-hosted a high-level webinar on transboundary water cooperation under the theme "Water for People."

The event brought together experts, policymakers and professionals from both countries, with women working in the water sector at its center. The timing was deliberate. It took place during South Africa's National Water Month, which overlaps with International Women's Day and Human Rights Day, and the organizers used that overlap to put women's leadership and inclusive water governance in front.

Majodina opened by arguing that women have a critical part in promoting dialogue, building trust and shaping the frameworks that govern sustainable water cooperation. She said the webinar sought to highlight their essential role in fostering dialogue and shaping collaborative frameworks for water management and peace. She also praised women already working as trailblazers across the sector and credited their leadership with helping to deliver water to communities. She stressed the need to amplify women's voices and to recognise their technical expertise in governance and policy-making.

She also pressed a wider point about the stakes. Decisions made in the water sector, she said, have the power to shape economies, influence policies and improve lives around the world. She urged participants to ask, with every intervention, what impact it has had on ensuring "Water for People," and how they are supporting young engineers and scientists so that water security is achieved and no one is left behind.

Sewilam framed the discussion around a shared circumstance: both South Africa and Egypt depend on transboundary water systems. That dependence, he said, makes cooperation, technical dialogue and sustained diplomacy critical to managing water well. He argued that when women are fully engaged in water governance and transboundary cooperation, agreements become more sustainable, institutions more representative and communities more resilient. Empowering women, in his telling, is essential to building institutions that are both inclusive and effective.

Marking International Women's Day, Sewilam called for renewed commitment to enabling environments for women's leadership, naming education, mentorship, capacity building and equal access to decision-making positions across the water sector. Experts at the event noted that greater participation by women can improve community engagement, policy effectiveness and sustainable resource management.

The program included presentations on sustainable development through water cooperation, strengthening cross-border water governance, and improving access to water for marginalised and vulnerable communities. Participants also shared innovative management strategies, pointing to how cooperation and knowledge exchange can help address water scarcity, climate challenges and rising demand. Experts said platforms like this one can strengthen technical partnerships, policy dialogue and capacity building.

The discussions underscored that cooperation across borders is growing more important as climate change, population growth and economic development press harder on shared water resources. The initiative brought together women leaders and experts from two water-stressed regions, aiming to promote inclusive governance and stronger international partnerships. The event closed with participants reaffirming their commitment to collaboration and to empowering women professionals.

What the webinar produced, as reported, was statements and reaffirmed commitments rather than announced policies or targets. Whether it leads to concrete leadership or policy steps is the thing to watch as pressure on shared water grows.