March 08, 2007

In South Asia there is a rigid division of labour regarding activity related to water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. Women and adolescent girls are disproportionately burdened by inadequate and poor quality water and sanitation services as they normally collect water, clean the house and care for the sick.

Improved sanitation is a particular priority for women in South Asia as it frees them from what is called “imprisonment by daylight.” In the absence of in-house toilets, many women and girls in the rural areas go for defecation only after dark. This exposes them to great discomfort as well as aggravates malnutrition and increases the risk of serious illnesses. In case of pregnancy, two lives are adversely affected. It is also true that the walk to and from the defecation fields in the dark also exposes girls to the risk of sexual harassment and assault.

Women and girls are the worst sufferers due to the lack of adequate and hygienic sanitation. Even in cities and towns, public toilets for women are rare and most are in a state of neglect. Few offices and schools have clean, well-maintained toilets. In fact lack of separate toilets in schools is a main contributory factor in girls’ drop-out rates. Studies have shown that in many South Asian countries school sanitation programmes have increased enrollment and decreased the rate of girls dropping out and reduced absenteeism.

A recent research study titled 'Women and Sanitation' says, "Women carry out 80 per cent of the water-related work throughout the world. They are often the managers of the community water supply, have extensive knowledge and experience, and have learned to protect water resources in order to preserve them for future generations. Yet women are seldom consulted and too often ignored when policies and plans are drafted and projects implemented."

In Pakistan, according to the study, every day in Cholistan, Punjab, Tharparkar, most of rural Balochistan and southern NWFP, rural women and children, particularly girls, walk long distances over dangerous terrain to bring water and fuel for their families.

“Water supply and sanitation programmes financed by the government, mostly consist of three essential dimensions, technology, finances and cost of the projects and number of users and beneficiaries. Women, the principal target group of these programmes, who will actually benefit from greater convenience, enhanced socio-economic opportunities and better health for themselves and their families are seldom contacted and consulted,” observes Naheed Ghazanfar, chairperson of the Institution of Engineers, Islamabad Centre.

Sanitation, Ghazanfar feels, is the prime responsibility of women, but regarding the decision of the number of public latrines, location, design and installation they are never consulted, even though the day-to-day cleaning work is handed over to them. “Although water supply and sanitation programmes are intended to benefit women of local communities, little attention is paid to their needs,” she adds.

An engineer by profession, Ghazanfar ––– working in an area spread over tehsils and towns of Multan District with a population of 15 million (48 per cent female) ––– studies how absence of latrines and bathrooms enhances health problems for females. As many as 80 per cent households in the rural areas and over 18 per cent in the urban areas do not have latrines in the house.

In households without latrines, the main responsibility for taking elderly women, young girls and children for defecation lies with the women. Women of the area complain that their shoes get soiled not only with their own waste but that of the others in the field, which is a potential health hazard as it exposes them to various diseases.

Women have reported that improved access to water and sanitation services has resulted in a more productive use of time and resources. Traditional gender roles are being challenged as men and women recognise the direct contribution that women’s participation is making to the community’s improvement and to household economic benefits. Through the process of forming and developing community institutions women have increased their confidence and capabilities.

There are certain examples in Pakistan where women’s effective participation in the projects has been remarkably successful. In Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) and Quetta Katchi Abadis Environmental Management Programme, women played a vital role in saving money to get the lane sanitation facility. In Orangi, for instance, it has been established that women’s savings were the major financial contribution for sanitation

In Rawalpindi, women saved money for sanitation facility by undertaking different jobs such as sewing, embroidery etc. Even the traditional method of saving “committee” was used to raise money for primary sewerage. Women played a vital role by motivating their male counterparts to participate in the sanitation work. Though the traditions demanded ‘no work outside the plinth of their house’, women created a benchmark by forming lane organisations, and successfully implementing lane level sewers.

The construction of lane level sewers was followed by installation of latrines inside the houses, bringing direct benefits to women and children. Firstly, they reported its great convenience and use at any time of the day. Secondly, they discovered that the health of their family had improved and health related expenditures had come down as a direct result of the sanitation system. Due to the proper sewerage system, children could play in the streets without getting soaked in the sewerage water, thus reducing the chances of contamination. Women also indicated that the provision of lane level sewers helped them in reducing expenditure, and less time was involved in washing clothes as previously due to dirty water standing outside the house clothes had to be washed on a daily basis.