A Gender Lens into Sanitation Technology Innovation

Abstract

Innovators in the water and sanitation sector are focused on closing the sanitation gap in developing countries through innovation in technologies that enable waste treatment onsite. To ensure universal access, these technologies need to meet the practices and preferences of different genders. This paper uses an online survey and follow-up telephone interviews with technology developers and examined the different technology development processes through a gender lens. The paper also explores the influence of the composition of the research and development teams on gender considerations in the project because the water and sanitation technology world is often male-dominated. The majority of the teams incorporated gender considerations, although with limited depth. Teams designing user interfaces and toilet cabin stalls were most likely to integrate gender. Waste-processing technologies are often assumed to be neutral, not requiring gender considerations. Technology development teams were predominately male, although with some female representation; a few have female leaders.

Water, Sanitation, and Women’s Empowerment: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis

“…(n = 21) Azeez 2019; 114 Baluchova 2017; 115 Bhatt 2019; 116 Czerniewska 2019; 117 Dwipayanti 2019; 118 Elledge 2020; 119 Hirai 2016; 120 Khanna 2016; 121 Lee 2017; 122 Mannan 2018; 123 Mohankumar 2017; 124 O'Reilly 2010; 48 Pardeshi 2009; 125 Routray 2017a; 126 Shahid 2015; 127 Simiyu 2017; 128 (n = 40) Aguilar 2005; 49 Aladuwaka 2010; 42 Assaad 1994; 64 Bastidas 2005; 65 Bastola 2015; 66 Bhandari 2009; 67 Boateng 2013a; 69 Bustamente 2005; 134 Cairns 2017; 58 Carmi 2019; 71 Clement 2018; 43 Coulter 2018; 73 Das 2014; 75 Delgado 2007; 135 Devasia 1998a; 76 Devasia 1998b; 77 DeVries 2015; 59 Ennis-McMillan 2005; 79 Ge 2011; 81 Leahy 2017; 44 Lebel 2015; 83 Leder 2017; 45 Makoni 2004; 106 Mandara 2017; 85 144 Aladuwaka 2010; 42 Anderson 2013; 145 Assaad 1994; 64 Bastidas 2005; 65 Bhandari 2009; 67 Bisung 2014;…”

“…Demographic factors, like class, caste, education, marital status, and age have been found to be influential. 45,61,67,70,84,85,89,92,95,101,102,108,111 Various social factors constrain women's involvement, like household responsibilities that conflict with meetings; 61,62,67,69,75,88,97,101,112,119,179 women's ability to attend but not speak or influence decisions; 61,65,[100][101][102]112 fear, shyness, and lack of confidence compounded by social norms limiting attendance or ability to speak in front of men; 47,58,61,62,65,67,69,75,81,83,88,95,97,101,109,112,118,…”

“…Formal positions include leadership on water and sanitation committees; leadership or management of WASH businesses, value chain companies, and organizations; leading community-level projects; and fundraising for and monitoring community-based water and sanitation initiatives. 45,52,69,71,75,79,98,106,112,119,125,135,140 Women's formal leadership has led to increased confidence among and toward women leaders. 42,59,112,132,143,291 In rural Vanuatu, water user committees with women in key posts met more regularly, functioned better, and collected more revenue than those with only men in these roles.…”

“…79 Even when leaders, women's roles have sometimes been tokenistic, at lower levels than male peers, and not resulting in influential decisionmaking. 43,46,47,65,66,69,88,90,95,119,129,137,138,179,282 In both Bolivia 58 and India, 58,90,92 women in formal leadership positions reported being represented by male relatives and husbands. Men usurping leadership roles in India 247 have limited initiatives aiming to foster women's leadership.…”

“…253 Women and girls in Maharashtra, India, particularly when pregnant, menstruating, or adolescent, reported reduced fear when using toilets rather than open defecating. 125 Women and girls have perceived sanitation facilities to be safer when there was lighting, 119,243 locks, 208 a female caretaker, 213 or an entrance shielded from the men's side of a toilet block. 119 In Uganda, a majority of female students who used toilets with lighting reported feeling safer, though many still felt unsafe going to the toilets alone because access paths remained unlit.…”