Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Sewilam, and South Africa’s Minister of Water and Sanitation, Bimmy Majodina, opened a joint virtual seminar marking International Women’s Day to discuss the role of women in water management and international water cooperation.
The seminar, held under the theme “Water for People”, brought together female engineers, scientists and water-sector specialists from Egypt and South Africa to exchange expertise and highlight women’s contributions to water governance and water diplomacy.
Sewilam said access to safe water and sanitation services is a fundamental human right and a key pillar for achieving sustainable development.
He noted that both Egypt and South Africa face similar challenges related to water scarcity, climate change, population growth and rising pressure on limited water resources, adding that both countries depend on international rivers as major sources of freshwater.
The minister also highlighted Egypt’s efforts to empower women in the water sector, including initiatives that train rural women to recycle water hyacinth into handicrafts that generate income for vulnerable families.
For her part, Majodina said the two countries share strong cooperation in the water sector, noting that Egypt and South Africa were selected among 12 countries to represent Africa at the United Nations Water Conference 2026 scheduled for December 2026.
She added that Egypt and Japan will co-chair the interactive dialogue titled “Water for Planet”, while South Africa and France will co-chair the dialogue on “Investments for Water”.
Majodina also expressed interest in participating in Cairo Water Week 2026 scheduled to take place in Cairo in October 2026.
