Resources / Gender and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Emergencies

Summary

Understanding gender, culture, and social relations is absolutely essential in assessing, designing, and implementing an appropriate water, sanitation, and hygiene programme which is effective, safe and restores the dignity of the affected population. Women are disproportionately affected by emergencies, in part because of existing gender inequalities. This chapter of the IASC Gender Handbook examines the gender issues in relation to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). It outlines how to assess and implement gender equality programming in the WASH sector. A checklist is provided to outline key issues to ensure gender equality programming.