Women and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are an important part of life because without access to clean water, there can be limited adherence to good hygiene practices, which leads to disease. Without clean water, diseases like diarrhoea, intestinal parasites and inflammation of the intestines become common and make communities prone to other health issues. Inadequate drinking water, sanitation and hygiene pose health risks to all children, however, there are additional implications for the health, psychosocial well-being and mobility of women and girls.

WASH has many socio-economic benefits, particularly for women and girls. It is imperative that women have a voice and sit at the decision-making table when issues regarding water governance are debated and policies are formulated. In many traditional, rural, African villages, women and girls are still tasked to fetch water for their families from lakes and rivers. Women and girls act as stewards of household water and managers of household sanitation that affects their reproductive and menstrual health needs and their role as caregivers for children and sick and elderly relatives. Women still bear disproportionate burdens when there are issues with WASH in Africa and they have limited power to influence policy decisions. It is unfortunate to note that the water sanitation and hygiene sector boards are dominated by men who have to make decisions that primarily affect women, such as policies on disposal and distribution of feminine products.

In recognition of WASH’s fundamental role in public health and the future of sustainable development, the United Nations General Assembly has recognized that access to safe water and sanitation are human rights and are therefore the subject of dedicated targets within the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6). The pressing issues in the WASH sector need to be tackled in order for universal fulfilment of these rights to be actualized. Reform in the sector is urgently needed in order to build the right systems with the resources available and to improve Water Governance to improve service delivery.

Strathmore University Business School and Africa Water Watch Limited have created a Water Governance and Innovation Hub which aims to enhance the gains that have been made towards improving universal access to water services in Africa. The Hub recently held a webinar to empower women to play a more active role in WASH. The key speakers were: Amb. Dr. Mary M. Khimulu, the immediate former Chairperson, Water Sector Trust Fund; Eva Muhia, a Global Sanitation and Environmental expert; and Dr. Barbara Kazimbaya-Senkwe, Senior WASH Governance Advisor, USAID WASH-FIN Program

The webinar discussions were centred around positioning women as WASH professionals and encouraging young women to join the profession and play an active role in shaping the sector. Some of the key take-aways that emerged from the discussions are summarised below:

Raise Awareness of Careers in WASH

One of the main reasons why there are very few women playing a part in WASH governance is the lack of awareness about career prospects in this field. This issue can be addressed by launching an awareness campaign nationally and regionally to educate women about the opportunities that exist in the sector. This campaign can be cascaded down to Secondary and Primary schools to help the youth understand how they can chart successful careers in WASH that will not only positively impact their communities but also help them to achieve career success.

Additionally, there has to be a concerted effort on the part of academic institutions, development partners, private sector players and government actors to elucidate leadership opportunities for women and youth in the new and emerging frontiers along the WASH value chain. There are many promising innovations that will unlock opportunities in technology such as e-payment platforms, the sanitation product manufacturing and distribution chains, WASH entrepreneurship and capacity building and research leadership.

Executive Leadership Programmes for Women

Strathmore University Business School (SBS) has trained more than seven hundred women in leadership courses. SBS has many Executive Leadership courses designed specifically for women. These courses are targeted at professionals in managerial and executive roles as well as those who aspire to these positions. There is a growing need for Executive Leadership courses that are designed to enhance WASH. Women working in the WASH industry should be encouraged to pursue courses that will enhance their ability to climb career ladders and enhance good governance practices in the sector. By intertwining personal and professional goals, women can empower their communities as they build their own professional lives.

Invest in Research Capacity

It is imperative for investments to be made in building research pipelines in WASH that can inform new models of service delivery and sustainability, enhance sanitation and build capacity. Women and youth should be the focus of some of these research investments by providing scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and training at Masters and PhD levels.

Improve Negotiation Skills

Women and youth need to be trained to effectively negotiate. Once the gender disparity in Board representation in the WASH sector has been addressed, and women and youth representatives are able to voice their opinions, they need to be empowered to positively influence discussions. They will then be in a position to amplify community voices and act as interfaces between communities and key decision makers to bring much needed reform in the sector.

Build Alliances to Break the Bias

Women should be encouraged to build alliances with influential women to collectively work towards breaking the biases that exist in society today. These alliances will give women the necessary support and knowledge to handle prejudice, break stigmas and confidence to articulate their views without fear of being seen as emotional and too feminine.

Women should work together to ensure that more women are strategically placed in decision making positions in the WASH sector. This will guarantee that decisions that affect women are made by representatives who understand the implications and that initiatives that affect females have been engineered by females.

It is unfortunate that in spite of their unique experiences and valuable perspectives, women tend to be under-represented in positions of authority in Water Governance policies. There are many governance issues that plague the sector, including limited managerial capacity, poor financial resource administration, and corruption. Disparities in access to WASH are rooted in underlying structural social and political factors, including gender inequality. Kenya has made some positive strides towards addressing this imbalance: women are being encouraged to hold leadership roles at the county and national level. As the paradigm shifts and women and youth are empowered to devise solutions to the problems that affect them and their communities, they will become powerful catalysts of change. As a society, we should work towards meaningful and inclusive participation of women and youth in decision-making and stewardship and control of resources to accelerate universal access to potable water and safely managed sanitation services.

Article by Shailja Sharma, Executive Fellow and Coach

Would you like to share an article? Write to us at sbscommunication@strathmore.edu