WWSN - Women in Water & Sanitation Network

What WWSN - Women in Water & Sanitation Network does

WWSN - Women in Water & Sanitation Network is a non-profit professional membership network dedicated to advancing gender equality in the water and sanitation sector. Founded in 2019 (with formal coalition engagement dating to 2022), the organization serves female professionals working in water utilities, engineering, research, operations, and related fields globally. WWSN operates as a member-driven community with a small core team of 5 people, providing networking, mentorship, career development workshops, and advocacy for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Its mission is to collaboratively create an inclusive water and sanitation workforce aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 5, 6, 8, and 17.

Name

WWSN - Women in Water & Sanitation Network

Legal name

Women in Water & Sanitation Network

Website

https://wwsn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WWSN is a global non-profit membership network empowering female professionals in the water and sanitation sector through mentorship, workshops, advocacy, and participation in international policy forums such as the World Water Forum and UNESCO coalitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Network Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Professional women network
• Water sector advocacy
• Gender equality programs
• Professional mentorship services
• Sector coalition building

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership: WWSN operates as a nonprofit membership network. Membership appears to be free, with activities funded through partnerships and potentially member contributions or grants.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WWSN runs a free global membership network that connects and empowers female professionals working in the water and sanitation sector. The core offering includes structured working groups (Events, Communications & Advocacy, Membership, Mentorship, Fundraising, Strategic Group), a mentorship program, career development workshops, leadership masterclasses, and participation in international water policy forums such as the World Water Forum and UNESCO-led coalitions.

Product overview

WWSN operates as a membership-based professional network and community platform rather than a traditional software product. The core offering is the WWSN Membership Network, which provides a global platform for networking, exchange, and professional development for women in the water and sanitation sector. Supporting this core platform are several modular programs including a Mentorship Program, Career Development Workshop Series (covering application and interview skills), Leadership Masterclasses (focused on water risk expertise), and coordination of thematic sessions at the World Water Forum. The organization also provides supplementary offerings such as newsletters and a resource library containing research materials like the World Bank's 'Women in Water Utilities: Breaking Barriers' report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WWSN Membership Network

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Working Group for the Thematic Process 11th World Water ForumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026WWSN is actively engaged in the preparatory process for the 11th World Water Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2027), coordinating three thematic sessions: Water Security (Topic 1D), Water Finance (Topic 2A), and Value of Water (Topic 6A). This builds on WWSN's contribution to the 10th World Water Forum in Bali where they coordinated two sessions.
• UNESCO Multi-Stakeholder Coalition for Gender Equality in WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024WWSN is a member of the UNESCO-led Multi-stakeholder Coalition for Gender Equality in Water since 2024. The coalition takes collective action to address gender disparities in water-related issues through five 'Game Changers': advocating for gender-equal funding, bridging policy and practice gaps, promoting women's leadership through education and capacity-building, challenging harmful social norms, and advancing gender-responsive policies using sex-disaggregated data.
• Stronger Together! CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022WWSN is a founding member of the Stronger Together! Coalition, which brings together eight regional and global women's networks dedicated to empowering professional women in the water and sanitation sector. The coalition unites women-led networks, civil society organizations, sector federations, government agencies, multilateral institutions, development cooperation entities, and professional associations. The coalition reaches more than 15,000 women worldwide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI): Independent water policy institute that organizes Stockholm World Water Week and other high-profile convenings. Comparable as the convener of the very forums where WWSN coordinates thematic sessions, and shares the global WASH-policy engagement model.
• International Water Association (IWA): A leading global membership association connecting water professionals across research, practice, and policy. Comparable as a sector-wide professional network that convenes events, working groups, and policy forums — but IWA is sector-wide while WWSN is gender-focused within WASH.
• WaterAid: A large international NGO focused on universal access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. Comparable as a global WASH-sector organization that engages in advocacy, partnerships with multilateral institutions, and convening around gender and WASH issues — but at vastly greater scale and budget than WWSN.
• Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP): Multi-stakeholder NGO delivering WASH services to low-income urban communities, with strong engagement of sector partners and donors. Comparable as a WASH-focused organization working with utilities, development partners, and international coalitions.
• IRC (IRC WASH): International NGO working on WASH systems change with a strong focus on sector capacity, equity, and professional practice. Comparable as a WASH-focused convening and knowledge organization whose equity and inclusion programming intersects directly with WWSN's mission.

Direct peers

• Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO): Global women's advocacy organization advancing gender justice in environmental governance and sustainable development. Comparable as a women-led advocacy network active in UN and multilateral policy spaces on gender plus natural-resource/water themes.
• WECF International (Women Engage for a Common Future): International women's network working on environment, health, and sustainability, including safe water. Directly comparable to WWSN as a gender-and-environment/sustainability network with advocacy, training, and coalition-building at global policy forums.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wwsnwash
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wwsn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WWSN - Women in Water & Sanitation Network