Practical guidance to address gender equality while strengthening water, sanitation and hygiene systems

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) system strengthening is an opportunity to empower women and tackle gender inequality. In this guide, we set out practical steps to tackle gender inequality across eight system strengthening building blocks.

Our aim is to support actors to understand gender-related issues from a systems perspective and how to move towards gender transformative practice in WASH system strengthening. In the guide we set out three practical steps to guide actors to analyse gender issues across eight building blocks, and to thereby understand how to best avoid doing harm, or causing backlash or resistance. We then guide actors to develop participatory actions that can support system strengthening activities to move from inclusion of women towards empowerment outcomes and, in the longer term, to tackle deeper gender equality issues and achieve more transformative gender outcomes.