gender & WASH
Integrating Gender, Sexuality and Rights in Urban Sanitation
CREA recently ventured into the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector to bring a gender, sexuality and rights perspective to the urban sanitation ecosystem.
CREA undertook an analysis of the sanitation sector to understand the barriers, bottlenecks and opportunities for gender inclusivity.
The Gender and WASH program works in India to support six organizations working as state technical support units:
- Ernst and Young in Odisha
- Administrative Staff College of India in Andhra Pradesh
- National Institute of Urban Affairs in Uttarakhand
- Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology in Maharashtra
- Centre for Science and Environment in Uttar Pradesh
- Indian Institute of Human Settlements in Tamil Nadu
Our unique approach is to center the structurally excluded groups most affected by the lack of access to sanitation and sanitation facilities. We work with menstruating girls and women, perimenopausal women, pregnant persons, transgender persons, sex workers, persons with disabilities and the elderly. We also work with sanitation workers, to better understand how the WASH sector can amplify their voices against the persistent practice of manual scavenging, and advocate for the safety of sanitation workers.
Under the program, CREA builds the capacity of partner organizations, conducts training for senior housing officials, and provide strategic guidance on the integration of gender, sexuality and rights in urban sanitation.
CREA is also in the process of setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) as a one-stop resource center, working with relevant stakeholders to integrate a strong gender, sexuality and rights perspective among civil society organizations, state technical units, urban local bodies, sanitation workers and WASH committee members. CREA intends that the CoE provide the frameworks, tools and capacity-building on gender, sexuality and rights for other sectors such as health and livelihoods too.
