Resources / Towards Total Sanitation. Socio-cultural barriers and triggers to total sanitation in West Africa

Summary

This report documents the results of studies on open defecation in rural communities and the cultural values that reinforce its practice in four West African countries – Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria. The studies aimed to address the challenges in certain communities particularly resistant to abandoning open defecation. In understanding the socio-cultural barriers to total sanitation specific to communities in the region, WaterAid is able to gradually adapt its sanitation programming accordingly. General themes emerging from the research include: understanding the local context; adapting the triggers to suit the context; broad stakeholder involvement; and skilful facilitation.