Addressing gender and water together seeks to ensure that the contributions of both men and women are recognised. To manage water effectively and sustainably, it is important to understand the different roles of men and women and to target action appropriately. Re-examining how women and men manage water will allow us to: share benefits from use of water; make progress towards more sustainable use of water; and maximize social and economic benefit from sustainable use of water. This becomes increasingly urgent in a situation where water is becoming scarcer and competition between users is growing.