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Equity and Inclusion in Sanitation and Hygiene in South Asia
Summary
There are two facets to the problem in South Asia, both of which are unacceptable.
The first is a problem of scale: 716 million men, women, and children defecate in the open every day in South Asia, especially in rural areas: a veritable sanitation crisis that impairs progress in the region. Many districts in India, Nepal, and Pakistan fall in this category.
The second, and in many ways more pernicious problem, particularly in South Asia, is one of exclusion, where different categories of people are not able to access and use safe sanitation facilities. These categories of people include those who are socially and economically marginalized or excluded, and those who cannot use standard designs.
This catalytic working paper, including a bibliography, was developed for the Technical Session during the 4th South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN IV) Reaching the Unserved: Equity and Inclusion in South Asia. It is intended for discussion leading to collaborative action.
The report is accompanied by a video, that can be watched here.
About the publisher
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is an international organization that works to improve access to sustainable sanitation, hygiene and water for all people. It does so by enhancing collaboration among sector agencies and professionals who are working to provide sanitation to the 2.6 billion people without a clean, safe toilet, and the 884 million people without affordable, clean drinking water close at hand. WSSCC is part of the UN system and contributes to development through knowledge management, advocacy, communications, and the implementation of a sanitation financing facility. WSSCC supports coalitions in more than 30 countries, and has a broad membership base and a small Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. www.wsscc.org
WaterAid is an international charity working in 26 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. WaterAid’s mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. www.wateraid.org
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. www.unicef.org
