Impact: Changes in policies, plans and strategies
Partners: IRDP and SCaN (India)
Following the training in Integration of women in India’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), the council build toilets and made the village open-defecation free, supported Srabani, a former ward worker, and her community members with the knowledge to access subsidies to purchase toilets and fostered women’s mass participation. Motivated by the open defecation-free incentives, Srabani, along with fifty women created a women’s association to demand access safe drinking water. The training facilitated the sustainability of these practices, as it focused on WASH mass awareness, regular WASH progress monitoring, proper alignment of hardware and software components, and the harmonization of WASH technologies with end user’s preferences. Prioritizing gender equality in the access to WASH by stimulating women’s involvement in the development and management of WASH technologies, as well as men’s family involvement in WASH-related tasks, was key to the success of this intervention. The training supported defined responsibilities for WASH related duties, motivating Srabani and other women not only to build their own toilets, but also to operate and maintain their WASH facilities.
