Evolving principles of women-led water diplomacy
Related Articles
Does earning money empower women? Evidence from India
This study investigates the relationship between women’s earnings and empowerment in India, focusing on married women aged 15-49. Utilizing data from the Indian DHS (2019–21), the research employs Bayesian statistical analyses to explore how earning money influences women’s empowerment in areas like financial and bodily autonomy, marital rights, attitudes towards intimate partner violence, and peer recognition. The study reveals that while earning money enhances women’s financial and bodily autonomy, decision-making capacity, and societal recognition, it simultaneously restricts their marital rights, degrades intimate partner relations, and increases the risk of domestic violence. The findings contribute to the discourse on gender equality, offering empirical insights into the complexities of women’s empowerment in India. This research has practical implications for policymakers, NGOs, and stakeholders working towards women’s empowerment, providing a deeper understanding of the varied impact of women’s economic contributions in India’s socio-cultural context.
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technologies for food, energy and water
Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technologies use solar energy to heat materials that drive water evaporation. These technologies are versatile and do not require electricity, which enables their potential application across the food, energy and water nexus. In this Review, we assess the potential of solar-driven interfacial evaporation technologies in food, energy and clean-water production, in wastewater treatment, and in resource recovery. Interfacial evaporation technologies can produce up to 5.3 l m–2 h−1 of drinking water using sunlight as the energy source. Systems designed for food production in coastal regions desalinate water to irrigate crops or wash contaminated soils. Technologies are being developed to simultaneously produce both clean energy and water through interfacial evaporation and have reached up to 204 W m–2 for electricity and 2.5 l m–2 h–1 for water in separate systems. Other solar evaporation approaches or combinations of approaches could potentially use the full solar spectrum to generate multiple products (such as water, food, electricity, heating or cooling, and/or fuels). In the future, solar evaporation technologies could aid in food, energy and water provision in low-resource or rural settings that lack reliable access to these essentials, but the systems must first undergo rigorous, scaled-up field testing to understand their performance, stability and competitiveness.
Impact of transboundary water flows on quality-induced water pressure in China
Quality-induced water pressure (P) is gaining increased attention. With the flows of transboundary water, P can be transferred among upstream and downstream regions. Here, we quantified the magnitude of pollutant transmission, and assessed its impact on individual provinces in China. On the annual basis, P was mitigated in 61% of provinces for Chemical Oxygen Demand, 87% for Ammonia Nitrogen, and 84% for Total Phosphorus, while it was intensified for 77% for Total Nitrogen in 2021. The aggregated P were mitigated in 68% of provinces, while intensified in 32% provinces. Furthermore, the monthly assessment has found that the impact of transboundary water on P varies seasonally, generally alleviating in winter and exacerbating in summer. This fluctuation was attributed to the comparatively higher quality of transboundary inflows during winter relative to local water quality. This study provides a scientific foundation for effective water management and quality control.
Frequency and factors associated with the utilization (curative and preventive) of oral health care services among pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has one of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Africa. There is a growing body of evidence about the relationship between poor oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, there is a lack of information about oral health status during pregnancy in the DRC. This study aimed to identify the factors related to the utilization of oral health care services among pregnant women.
What makes a man unmanly? The global concept of ‘unmanliness’
This paper presents the findings of a multi-national study that led to the development of a new analytical framework in masculinity research—the Global Concept of ‘Unmanliness’ (GCU). Drawing on three key theories—hegemonic masculinity, precarious manhood and masculinity threat, and emasculation—we conducted an innovative study across 15 countries (selected from an initial pool of 62) to examine cultural perceptions of ‘unmanliness.’ Participants provided open-ended responses to identify traits and behaviors considered unmanly within their cultural contexts. By analyzing common themes expressed by young men, we propose the Global Concept of ‘Unmanliness’ as a framework for understanding how societies define and enforce masculinity norms. Furthermore, comparing these findings with the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) revealed a key distinction in how ‘unmanliness’ is characterized across different levels of gender emancipation. In countries with high GGGI rankings (e.g., Norway, Ireland, Germany), ‘unmanliness’ is more often associated with physical traits and behaviors linked to femininity (e.g., clothing, makeup). Conversely, in countries with low GGGI rankings (e.g., Pakistan, Morocco, Nigeria), it is more commonly defined by acts such as violence against women. Our study highlights how cultural and structural gender dynamics shape the boundaries of masculinity and offers a new lens for cross-cultural research on gender norms.
Responses