This report provides a review of the current evidence on gender in sanitation and concludes with key learning to help advance research and understanding.
Gender matters when it comes to sanitation. Emerging evidence shows that gender differences and dynamics along the sanitation value chain can influence people’s access to sanitation as well as their health, development and empowerment, especially for the most vulnerable.
Beyond biological differences between men and women, cultural practices, beliefs and gendered social norms lead to disparities in men’s and women’s access to sanitation facilities, influence roles and responsibilities in the household, and affect decision making power. Building on existing momentum and meaningfully applying a gender lens across the sanitation value chain can considerably improve sanitation outcomes.
