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Gender and social outcomes of WASH interventions: synthesis of research evidence

Safely managed water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are fundamental for human health and wellbeing and are thought to contribute to a range of positive outcomes related to education, livelihoods, dignity, safety, and gender equality.

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Citation

Macura, B., Dickin, S., Sharma Waddington, H., Liera, C., Soto, A., Orlando, A., Foggit, E., Pross, C., McArthur, .J, Fadhila, A., Del Duca, L., Njoroge, G. (2023). Gender and social outcomes of WASH interventions: synthesis of research evidence. CEDIL Syntheses Working Paper 7, CEDIL, Oxford. https://doi.org/10.51744/CSWP7

Young women spend their days looking for water, Jamam refugee camp, South Sudan

Young women spend their days looking for water, Jamam refugee camp, South Sudan. Photo: Alun McDonald, Oxfam / Flickr.

However, gender and other social categories (e.g. age, ethnicity, caste, disability, marital status) can mediate who benefits from WASH services and in which ways. As progress in gaining access to safe WASH services has not occurred equally, there has been a focus on mainstreaming gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in interventions. Despite awareness in the sector of the importance of promoting gender and socially inclusive WASH services, evaluations of interventions focus largely on technical or health outcomes, while social outcomes are not included.

This report includes systematic mapping of GESI outcomes in the context of WASH interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (see linked journal publication). It also includes evidence synthesis on violence-related outcomes in the context of WASH interventions with analysis of barriers to, and facilitators of, change in violence-related outcomes. Finally, the report includes the synthesis of outcomes on time use, time savings and alternate uses of time associated with WASH interventions.

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SEI authors

Biljana Macura
Biljana Macura

Senior Research Fellow and Team Lead

SEI Headquarters

Carla Liera
Carla Liera

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

Adriana Soto
Adriana Soto Trujillo

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

Camille Pross

Research Associate

SEI Asia

Laura Del Duca
Laura Del Duca

Research Associate

SEI Headquarters

George Njoroge

Research Fellow

SEI Africa

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