Women, Wellbeing, Work, Waste and Sanitation action research successes in South Asia

Updated - Monday 03 December 2007

The 4WS project ‑ Women, Wellbeing, Work, Waste and Sanitation has successfully addressed the sanitation problems in low income peri-urban communities in coastal areas of South Asia. This is done through participatory approaches that are gender and poverty sensitive. It also creates employment for women as latrine masons and in solid waste collection and recycling. Women masons for example make an income of US$ 18/RHT in Bangladesh (125 constructed so far) and the equivalent of US$ 15-17/month at the solid waste recycling units (3 so far) in Kerala (South India). Women latrine masons in Kerala earn Rs. 250 (US$ 5.4) per toilet installed/repaired. Women in the Kerala site obtain money from solid waste recycling and paper and fibre bag making.

This EU-funded multi-disciplinary action research from 2003-2006 showed that both toilet provision and solid waste segregation and reuse by women proved to be socially and economically viable in Bangladesh and Kerala. In Sri Lanka, alternative types of work have been found for young women, as their employment as masons did not work out, mainly due to selecting unmarried women. The 4WS project was 31% cheaper than a comparable government project in Bangladesh and 20% cheaper in Kerala. In Sri Lanka, the 4WS project needed 11,6% of the cost of a comparable government project with Japanese support.

Eco-toilets introduced

Measurement of environmental impacts through scale observations showed much more progress in the pilot communities than in the control communities. As to soundness of technology, due to the high water table, it would be advisable to introduce more eco-toilets, preferably above ground. A start was made with such toilets in Kerala and Sri Lanka. However, more time is needed to introduce eco-toilets in the communities. Also a focus needs to be placed on reducing the overall costs so as to become widely accepted and used.

Experiments for school children to measure and demonstrate the impact of the use of urine as natural fertilizer are going on in schools in Morrelganj, Bangladesh and Karrukapone in Sri Lanka. In Morrelganj, Bangladesh, the school experiment has been upgraded to three secondary schools.

Gender impacts

Gender impacts include the generation of work and income for poor women in all three sites. This included:

the training of women for new tasks in solid waste management in the Kerala site and in water supply and sanitation technology and production in the Bangladesh pilot project;
the increased participation of women in decision-making;
the increased attention to the roles of men in hygienic conditions and practices; the achieved redistribution of work between women and men;
benefiting women and adolescent girls in the Kerala project; and
the capacity building of women staff in environmental science.

Bangladesh: composting lessons to national sanitation policy

Continuity of the approaches in the pilot areas has been ensured with the continuation of the community-level organizations and follow up with the local administrations. Expansion from one to three wards is under way in the Bangladesh site. Lessons on composting are taken up to the national level through the partners’ roles as advisors to the national sanitation policy.

The local partner NGO Forum for Drinking water Supply and Sanitation has become convinced of the value of re using human waste through compost and urine fertilizer for the growth of plants. Some important lessons learnt mentioned by NGO Forum are:

The involvement of local elites helps to involve youths as volunteers.

The attitude of the elected bodies towards development initiatives implemented by NGOs and communities is more cordial than that of the non-elected bureaucracy, especially the technical people.

Credit systems with repayment in instalments help promote water and sanitation coverage.

Involvement of women as masons works well.

Kerala: Spread to other local governments

In Kerala, expansion is under way to 12 of 21 Local Self Governments and two municipalities, following a one day dissemination workshop on 4WS. One proposal has already been sanctioned. The solid waste component has become part of the policy of the State Sanitation Mission. In Sri Lanka, expansion is taking place via links with Plan International and the Red Cross.

Case studies were prepared as well as articles in refereed journals and the national press. In each country, a website was established.

Next: “Women, Work, Water, Wastewater, Waste, Wellbeing and Sanitation (6Ws)”

The experiences gained in this project will also be used in a new proposal entitled "Women, Work, Water, Wastewater, Waste, Wellbeing and Sanitation (6Ws)”, which the EU requested under the Asia Pro Eco Programme-Phase II. This concerns mainly the development and use of participatory methods, gender approaches, and the need for greater standardization of data collection instruments between the countries. The partners were asked to transfer and adjust the approach to the low-income areas of major cities and to work further on eco-sanitation. The aim is to find out whether a similar innovative approach can also work in urban slums, where the environmental risks are even greater