Author: Sue Cavill, Johannes Rueck
Year: 2025
Publisher: German Wash Network (GWN)
Discussion paper on how humanitarian and transitional WASH assistance can lead to more gender-equitable outcomes.
Women and girls are particularly affected by inadequate WASH conditions, whether due to a lack of safe toilets or the stigma surrounding menstruation. At the same time, there is growing evidence that women are an essential part of the solution to WASH problems, because when they are involved in decision-making, facility planning and service management, solutions are more responsive, inclusive and often more sustainable.
The discussion paper identifies quality criteria, recommendations for action and monitoring indicators on how gender-responsive WASH programs can be implemented effectively in humanitarian and transitional WASH assistance. It also presents practical examples that show how gender-responsive as well as gender-transformative measures are already being successfully implemented in the WASH sector.
The discussion paper is authored by the independent expert Sue Cavill. The development was accompanied by a working group of the German WASH Network. The paper is based on a review of existing studies, guidelines, standards and donor policies, an online survey in which 37 experts from the WASH sector participated, a focus group discussion with local practitioners from the Eastern Africa region, and interviews with 10 key informants from member organizations. In addition, 7 organizations contributed concrete case studies, which are presented in the document.
Key findings from the survey include:
- The majority of organizations are already successfully integrating gender-sensitive approaches, such as including women in the design of toilet facilities and water points to minimize safety risks and describe their WASH programs as gender-sensitive (49%) or even gender-responsive (46%).
- More than 80% of the organizations surveyed have a gender-specific strategy, and almost 60% invest in gender-specific capacity building measures.
- Despite progressive integration of gender issues, there are still numerous challenges and barriers that prevent systematic mainstreaming of gender equality at the staff, program and organizational level, such as insufficient resources (75%), lack of gender-specific skills among WASH professionals (47%) and lack of partnerships (42%).