A first-of-its-kind International Women and Rivers Congress kicked off at Club Himalaya in Nagarkot, Nepal on 7th March, representing almost all the major rivers of the world. It has been organized by the Berkeley-based International Rivers and its South Asia office in India with the local host Nepal Water Conservation Foundation.

Attended by one hundred participants from 32 countries representing all the five continents, the Congress is supported by Australia's DfAT, Sweden's SIDA, American Jewish World Service (AJWS), Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA), Oxfam and many of their partner organizations.

The three-day congress will share stories of struggles and achievements related to water. It will also examine the role of women leaders and the political challenges they face, and also seek to deepen our understanding of development issues from the perspectives of feminist discourse and philosophy.