Current and future women water sector leaders representing a variety of disciplines including engineering, operations, research, management, and communications, gathered on the evening of Monday, Oct. 1, at a reception and session.
The purpose of Women in Water: Informing, Inspiring, Connecting, “is to give you a chance to network with your women colleagues,” said event moderator and WEF Fellow Sandra Ralston. “You have a chance to obtain support and inspiration. This is really about making friends and sharing experiences, so you don’t feel alone, knowing that you actually have a lot of allies in this sector.”
The session began with an informal discussion between Ralston and Fidan Karimova, Water Technology Collaboration Manager at the Water Research Foundation (WRF). Karimova answered questions posed by Ralston on topics ranging from how she entered the water sector, to what inspired her to initiate Global Water Girls, an all-women startup working to transform ocean plastics into a source of energy at wastewater treatment plants, to how she has dealt with obstacles and barriers along the way.