The ‘Trans-Boundary Rivers of South Asia’ (TROSA) is a five-year (2017 -2021) regional programme jointly implemented by Oxfam and its partners to understand and address challenges faced by millions of people living on the river basins without access to water and working to create the conditions to reduce poverty in river communities in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and the Salween basins.
Empowerment of women is one of the key principles of inclusive Water Governance within this programme. Women living in the river basins are dependent on the rivers for several reasons, that includes domestic use, irrigation, and other forms of livelihood. However, women have limited control over the resources they are dependent on and are impacted by water- induced disasters, living in a constant fear of loss of lives and properties.
With the belief that empowering these women can eventually change their lives in a positive way, creating a forum for the women where they are able to raise issues with the concerned stakeholders, demanding actions, is therefore one of the major components of the TROSA project.