Learning Paper: Lessons from Co-Creation of a Platform for Women in Water Governance in the Mekong Region

In February 2023, the 12-person all-female steering committee convened to begin the process of co-creating this safe space, with security safeguards, a robust governance structure, and initial wireframe ideas for the online space, backed up by technology infrastructure that establishes a baseline of no electricity, no hardware and connectivity, no literacy or digital literacy, with a minimum of start-up funds to build the necessary infrastructure. The project’s initial pilot region is the Lower Mekong Basin countries and Myanmar, but engages a gender-balanced Advisory Board that brings global perspectives and trans-disciplinary expertise.

These lessons are based on a one-year longitudinal research project that followed the WIWGP co-creation process through a mix of interviews, observation and surveys. This includes observation of online meetings and two in-person workshops (23-24 February and 12-21 September 2023), two rounds of interviews with Steering Committee members and other members of the project team, and post-workshop surveys after each workshop.