This month marked World Water Day, but the entire month has been shaped by water-related activities, discussions, and momentum. It was a pleasure to connect with many of you at our recent webinar to launch our Latin American publication, and we’re delighted to share a few highlights.
World Water Day Webinar: Advancing Menstrual Hygiene Management
Thank you to all our members and guests who joined us for our World Water Day webinar on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) - a timely and important topic aligned with this year’s UN-Water theme on water and gender.
The webinar provided an opportunity to share key insights from our new publication Policies for Menstrual Hygiene Legislation in Latin America and Spain, the first output from our 30-country legal and policy study on MHM.
Bringing together experiences from Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and Brazil, the session highlighted both progress and ongoing implementation challenges. We were delighted to welcome speakers from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Brazilian Senate, UNICEF Mexico, the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC), and experts from HR2W, including our former President Mercedes Castro, alongside Amanda, Isabella, and Kay.
We extend our sincere thanks to Anamaría Nuñez and Florencia Magdalena Méndez (IDB), Natalia Gullón Múñoz-Repiso (AECID), Amael Notini (Brazil), David Pedrueza (Mexico), and Reina Jara (RHSC) for sharing their expertise and perspectives.
Speakers emphasized the need for a comprehensive, system-wide approach and stronger collaboration across governments, institutions, and markets to translate existing knowledge into large-scale, sustainable action .
Unlocking water innovation through stronger partnerships
Water innovation plays a critical role in enabling local governments and utilities to build stronger partnerships and deliver more effective services to their communities. However, key barriers continue to limit progress - ranging from gaps in skills and capacity, to the need for more flexible and non-traditional financing, as well as stronger gender inclusion.
Our latest policy brief, prepared by Amanda Loeffen and Gaetane Suzenet, explores these challenges in depth and highlights how they are holding back the full potential of communities. It also puts forward practical recommendations on how addressing these barriers can accelerate the uptake of water innovation within public-private partnerships (PPPs).
43rd UN Water Conference
This month, we participated in the three-day 43rd UN Water Conference in Rome, Italy - the largest gathering to date of UN-Water Members, Partners, country representatives, and senior leaders.
Chaired by Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Chair of UN-Water, the meeting featured a keynote address from the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, Ms Retno Marsudi, and presentations from the co-hosts of the 2026 UN-Water Conference, Senegal and United Arab Emirates. The message was clear - this is an opportunity for:
Implementable, tangible solutions that are built on existing efforts rather than duplication. We have a real chance to do things differently.
Discussions focused on advancing the implementation of the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, alongside preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference.
Water and Gender in Practice Webinar
On March 27th, CEO Amanda Loeffen participated in a Water4All webinar, hosted by Water Europe, to highlight recent research on gender-inclusive water management and exploring how gender perspectives can be effectively integrated into Living Labs.
Amanda’s opening remarks emphasized that the inclusion of women in water management brings real and measurable value. Women contribute not only lived experience as primary water users, but also practical operational knowledge and a strong understanding of the social and economic importance of water systems. And yet gender equality in water does not happen automatically. It is not a by-product of development. It is a political, institutional, and social choice.
Held in celebration of World Water Day, the webinar featured presentations from Water-Orientated Living Labs (WOLLs) located in Portugal, the Netherlands and Finland. Through their local initiatives, speakers reflected on their engagement with stakeholders and communities demonstrating how water innovation can help build more inclusive, resilient, and water-smart territories.
Upcoming Events
Interested in latest developments in MHM in Latin America and the Caribbean?
RHSC and ForoLAC, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Global Menstrual Collective (GMC), and partners, are hosting a regional virtual launch of the Shared Agenda for Action on Menstrual Health and Hygiene. This initiative forms part of the global co-creation process of a joint, evidence-based, and collectively developed agenda that seeks to align priorities, strengthen advocacy, and amplify ongoing efforts across the region.
The webinar will be held in Spanish with AI translation available.
When: 15th April at 10 am EST
HR2W launches new training programme
We are pleased to introduce a new training programme designed to share knowledge and build capacity on the human rights to water and sanitation.
This May, we launch the first of three annual workshops, and you are warmly invited to join us.
Introduction to Menstrual Health Management
May 28th 16:30-18:00h CET
This workshop provides an outline of our methodology for assessing menstrual health management as a human right, and case studies from a selection of 30 countries where we have conducted in-depth legal and policy analysis. The workshop highlights a selection of good practices from different regions and benchmarks the cultural differences between them. Although MHM has only been recognised as a human right since 2022, countries are quickly adopting new laws and policies in an attempt to address the gaps in access to MHM provision, education and understanding. This session will be useful for experts and students alike, highlighting new practices, bringing attention to the topic, and providing an opportunity for open discussion.
This first session is offered at a special introductory rate of 40 CHF per person, with free access for HR2W members.
We will reach out with more information on our training sessions soon.
Best regards,
Isabella Cubillo
Communications Officer