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Day: March 8, 2023

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International Women’s Day: Sarah’s Story

“To catalyze the transition from water management to water stewardship… a shift in how we talk about water is imperative.”

Sarah Argoud, Global Sustainability Natural Resources Lead, AstraZeneca
Sarah Argoud, AstraZeneca

We spoke with Sarah Argoud, Global Sustainability Natural Resources Lead, AstraZeneca, about her role, water stewardship and what International Women’s Day means to her.

How would you describe your role?

My day-to-day work is focused on influencing and inspiring action. Success is when my efforts make it easier for AstraZeneca to contribute to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs), especially for water and responsible consumption and production. The purpose of my role is always about the connection to the big picture of how to best contribute to global aims to care for the planet, whether it’s by developing internal targets, frameworks and programmes that clarify what we need to do; securing and managing central funding to support our delivery; sharing what we’ve done through presentations and reporting; or partnering externally to progress these efforts.

What drew you to working in water in particular?

I grew up in Southern California in the US where droughts make for regular dinner-time conversation. As I started my career in the pharmaceutical industry, I worked in manufacturing and was quite proud of the impact I was making for patients who needed the medicine we supplied. But seeing how much water was required just to clean one storage tank from batch to batch seemed like quite a large trade-off. Finding my way into a role where I could continue to be part of the sector’s efforts to improve health outcomes while also driving to minimize its impact on nature and local basins is quite a privilege.

What does a day in your job look like?

Every day in my role involves connection with stakeholders, both within AstraZeneca and beyond. As a science-led company, there is a lot of time spent considering what data we have to support the decisions we make, and a lot of consideration of the risks as we prioritize our efforts. One of the aspects of my role that I enjoy most is interacting with site and supplier facing colleagues based across the world to learn more about what their challenges are and how they are connecting with their communities to address them. These experiences are immensely helpful to inform how I focus my time to better support them in these efforts. I also really enjoy the transparency that I can bring to the role, sharing our learnings while benefitting from those presented by other companies and sectors.

What does water stewardship mean to you?

Water is so important to society and the natural world around us, but it is also very easy to take for granted. Bringing the value of water to life in a way that your stakeholders can personally connect to is critical to water stewardship and the systems thinking it requires.

What stage would you say you are at in your water stewardship journey?

I transitioned from a career in manufacturing to my role in sustainability quite recently, so it often feels like my water stewardship journey is just getting started. As a quick learner and one who does not shy away from asking questions, I see my fresh perspective as one of the greatest strengths that I bring to my role and the broader community working in this space. Despite my passion and drive to accelerate my learning, it’s not uncommon for me to get a bit tripped up in the complexity.

To catalyze the transition from water management to water stewardship at the scale that is needed, a shift in how we talk about water is imperative. Communicating the benefits of stewardship and making the roadmaps more widely accessible must be amongst our top priorities to successfully drive change.

How have you found working with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)/AWS Standard?

The AWS Standard is quite helpful as the “how” for sites across sectors located anywhere in the world. And the translations to many different languages are a major benefit for my colleagues to understand what they need to do, especially when it comes to the more technical aspects of the Standard.

What achievement are you most proud of when it comes to water?

Connecting with people through my daily interactions is the most rewarding part of working in water, whether it’s a meeting to discuss a nature restoration project or sharing what I’ve learned with one of my water-wise neighbors while chatting about the health of our local creek where our kids like to explore. The moments when I have inspired someone to think differently about their own abilities to drive change, or to join the proverbial “ripple to become the wave”, are my proudest.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

When I reflect on how past generations would view the leading roles many women have across various organizations, it’s quite inspiring and something to be incredibly proud of. Yet as we’re making progress and benefitting from more diverse perspectives in some geographies, many women around the world are losing the ground they have gained. Our work in water has a major role to play, including WASH to enable education and opportunity to women and creating more technical jobs where women can make a big impact worldwide.

IWD 2023 asks us to: ’embrace equity’. Have there been any instances where you have embraced equity in your role, or supported others to do so?

Creating an inclusive environment underpins everything I do within my role. Everyone we work with has a different story and unique hurdles to overcome in order to deliver the intended outcome. You enable a much richer outcome by making it safe for everyone involved to bring their whole self and come with curiosity. I am at my best when I can say “I don’t know” or “I need help” without fear or embarrassment and I strive to create that environment for others. This can be as simple as acknowledging and appreciating language barriers or neurodiversity in discussions, slowing down or offering other methods of communication for technical topics.

Are there any other comments that you would like to add?

Working in water has been a great privilege and I am incredibly grateful to everyone within the community for their acceptance and appreciation of how diversity only strengthens our approach.

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International Women’s Day: Tanzida’s Story

“Working with AWS has taught us the importance of a collaborative approach to address water-related challenges.”

Tanzida Islam, Programme Manager – Environment, H&M Group

We spoke with Tanzida Islam, Programme Manager – Environment at H&M Group, about her role, water stewardship and what International Women’s Day means to her.

How would you describe your role?

As an Environmental Program Manager at H&M Group (Bangladesh Production Office), my role is to plan and execute sustainable programs with a focus on areas related to water, climate and chemical management to improve the environmental sustainability of factories supplying to H&M. I work with various stakeholders to drive industrial change with shared responsibilities, ranging from government to non-governmental organizations and business sectors.

What does a day in your job look like?

A typical day in my job involves planning and prioritizing daily deliverables, attending internal and external meetings and conducting organized factory visits. These engagements help me to understand the progress of our sustainability programs. Another crucial aspect is to secure business alignment with factories’ environmental sustainability performance, which requires building internal and external capacity.

What does water stewardship mean to you?

Water Stewardship means going beyond the fence line to benefit communities. In my view, we are at the foundational stage of our water stewardship journey. Since we are not the only brand present in the river basin, collaboration with stakeholders is necessary to achieve good outcomes. One example of this is our collaboration with the Alliance for Water Stewardship, together with other clothing brands, supplier factories and local communities in three prioritized locations: Gazipur, Narayanganj and Savar in Bangladesh. We have made progress and still have a long way to go.

How have you found working with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)/AWS Standard?

Working with Alliance for Water Stewardship has taught us the importance of a collaborative approach to address water-related challenges. We have also learned to assess five outcomes (good water governance; sustainable water balance; good quality water status; important water-related areas; and water, sanitation and hygiene) using the AWS five-step method. It provides a clear understanding of what is needed to reduce water consumption, tackle water pollution and establish good water governance in high-risk basins.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

The meaning of International Women’s Day for me is to support women’s voices and actions in society without fear of any repercussions. This day gives us a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of women and their contributions to our community. Additionally, it is a day where we acknowledge the barriers that need to be removed for women to aspire and achieve their life goals.

IWD 2023 asks us to: ’embrace equity’. Have there been any instances where you have embraced equity in your role or supported others to do so?

Equity means to strive for fair treatment, access, equal opportunities and advancement for everyone while identifying and removing barriers that prevent certain groups from fully participating. As a woman, my career journey was not easy, and there were times when I needed support, acceptance and trust from others. Now, I believe it’s my turn to provide support to someone else. I am an inclusive person who respects others’ uniqueness in an empathetic, unbiased way. I love to build relationships and value the opinion of others. However, in our culture, it can be challenging for women to raise their voice. Fortunately, my work environment is quite inclusive and encourages diversity.

In the context of your work on water stewardship, are there any other leaders in this space who you think others should know about?

I would like to share the name of Hasin Jahan, Country Director for WaterAid Bangladesh. She is focused on transforming the lives of the most marginalised people to ensure safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Her work to promote WASH in marginalised communities makes her an excellent example of water leadership in Bangladesh.

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International Women’s Day: Badra’s Story

“Water stewardship has brought a new dimension to my world of water.”

Badra Kamaladasa, Technical Committee Member, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)

We spoke with Badra Kamaladasa, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Technical Committee Member, about her work in water resource development, conservation and management, and what International Women’s Day means to her.     

How would you describe your career?

I’m a civil engineer who joined the Irrigation Department of Sri Lanka in 1979 as an irrigation engineer. I retired as the Director General of Irrigation in 2015 and then worked as a consultant in the Ministry of Irrigation for four years. I’m now a consultant in the water resources sector, where I work on drafting policies, conducting environmental impact assessments, researching and investigating, preparing technical guidelines, and developing technical specifications for different civil engineering and water resources organizations. I’m currently working on a number of projects including reservoir feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments of trans-basin diversion projects and dam safety projects. Additionally, I’m the Chairperson of the Water Forum of Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka. I’m also actively involved in various professional and non-governmental organizations on a voluntary basis, including the AWS Technical Committee. 

What drew you to working in water?

After completing my civil engineering degree, I had various options available to me, such as working in water supply, irrigation, building construction, road development, and more. However, I noticed that those who work in the water sector have the opportunity to make a significant impact on communities by improving sanitation, fulfilling drinking water needs and providing livelihoods through water resources development projects. I also recognized that in addition to providing these sectoral services, joining the water sector would enable me to contribute to the conservation of the environment and regional development. As a result, I decided to join the Irrigation Department in Sri Lanka, which was the largest institution in the water sector. 

What does a day in your job look like?

A day in my job is always full of excitement. I’ve turned some of my professional responsibilities into hobbies, which I find enjoyable. When I go to the office or go on inspections, I spend a few hours in the early morning taking care of my home responsibilities before devoting my full attention to work. When I work from home, I find time for exercise, cooking, gardening, and other household tasks and social activities during breaks. So, from early morning until late at night, I’m engaged in several activities simultaneously. 

What does Water Stewardship mean to you?

Water stewardship has brought a new dimension to my world of water. Having worked with various international organizations dealing with water, I noticed that many of them still cling to the traditional Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles. However, water stewardship offers a practical approach to achieving IWRM goals on a global scale.  

What stage would you say you are at in your water stewardship journey?

I must admit that I am still an amateur in the AWS team, having joined in December 2022.  During the first two months I got the opportunity of joining the AWS Standards System Training, which was a steep learning curve. While engaging through the activities I will be able to understand how the current system works and what practical issues need to be resolved.    

How have you found working with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) and the AWS Standard?

I found the AWS team to be very welcoming and professional in their approach, which made it easy for me to become a member even though we’ve only met virtually so far. I appreciate that the AWS Standard is designed in a straightforward way that any water organization can follow to become a good water steward. They have successfully simplified a complex water management system into a user-friendly process. I’m also particularly impressed by the strategies that AWS has developed to engage with water users and managers at the grassroots level. 

What achievement are you most proud of when it comes to water?

One of the most fulfilling tasks in my career has been the intervention I made in institutionalizing dam safety practices in the Irrigation Department of Sri Lanka. I introduced sustainable practices, conducted training to raise awareness among officers and secured funding for a comprehensive dam safety program. 

What does International Women’s Day (IWD) mean to you?

International Women’s Day provides both men and women with the opportunity to reflect on their roles and responsibilities in society and acknowledge the many burdens that women carry while balancing multiple roles. It is also an opportunity for women to share their experiences and emotions, to examine our past and current gender paradigms, and to question their validity, as well as to build new paradigms. 

IWD 2023 asks us to: ‘Embrace equity’. Have there been any instances where you have embraced equity in your role, or supported others to do so?

In my previous role in government, the system itself embraced equity for career development. My husband and extended family members also supported me in fulfilling my tasks without requiring me to postpone or cancel them. I have advised decision-makers to assess the requirements of individuals based on factors like gender, age, physical and mental conditions, and fix targets accordingly. I noticed that equity practices like flexible office hours and timely resource allocation encourage everyone to work efficiently and effectively, and I have promoted and advocated for these practices. 

In the context of your work on water, are there any other leaders in this space who you think others should know about?

The water stewardship space has many female leaders who should be recognized. Some examples include Eng Ms Deepika Thrimahawithana, Director General of Irrigation; Eng Ms Janaki Meegastenna, former Additional Director General of Irrigation; Ms Wasantha Ilangasinghe, General Manager of National Water Supply and Drainage Board; and Ms Kusum Athukorale, Chair of South Asia Water Partnership. 

Are there any other comments you would like to add?

The theme of ‘embrace equity’ applies not only to women but to other marginalized groups as well. While legislation prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunities, social and cultural norms must also change to enable citizens to live as they desire. 

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