Women in water supply, sanitation and hygiene programmes

This paper demonstrates the fundamental linkages between the United Nations’ third millennium development goal (MDG) ‘to promote gender equality and to empower women’ and MDG 7 ‘to ensure environmental sustainability’, with target 10 ‘to halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2015’. A synthesis of the evidence gathered for the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) shows the connections between women’s wellbeing and water supply, sanitation facilities and hygiene practice. The paper shows that if women’s interests relating to water and sanitation provision are at the centre of planning and implementation of programmes, this has a direct impact on women’s life experience, their potential and opportunities. This work goes on to provide examples of the benefits to women when they themselves are involved in the planning, implementation and operation of water supply, sanitation and hygiene programmes.