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Hygiene Promotion for Men - Challenges and Experiences from Nepal
Summary
Effective hygiene promotion reduces the main risky hygiene practices and conditions for women, children and men. A consensus exists among those working on hygiene promotion that for hygiene promotion efforts to be effective, each member in the community should be involved. The benefits of inclusive hygiene promotion are widely recognized: all groups, women, children and men should be included in hygiene promotion activities. Despite this consensus, most hygiene promotion programmes focus on women only. Specific examples on how men are targeted are difficult to find. Involving men and encouraging their responsibility in hygiene and sanitation improvements is important for many reasons. Men have a key role in decision making, often control finances, have an important role to play in family and community health improvement, can help reduce the burdens borne by women, and can be role models to others in the community. Men who are well informed on the benefits of hygiene improvement for their family are more likely to support their wives and children and to change their own behaviours.
In this paper we use the experience of NEWAH, a national NGO based in Nepal, as a case to describe the challenges, but also the benefits and the lessons learned while focusing hygiene promotion on men.
This paper was presented at the Hygiene Practitioners Workshop, Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 2010.
About the publisher
BRAC is a Bangladesh-based NGO working to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. BRAC currently runs a large-scale WASH programme in many rural areas.
The International Water and Sanitation Center (IRC) facilitates the sharing, promotion and use of knowledge so that governments, professionals and organizations can better support poor men, women and children in developing countries to obtain water and sanitation services they will use and maintain.
WaterAid transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. In 26 countries in Africa, Asia and Pacific region, and at the global level, they work with partners and influence decision makers to maximize impact.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is a global multi-stakeholder partnership and membership organization that works to achieve sustainable water supply and sanitation for all people, through enhancing collaboration among sector agencies and professionals.
