4WS: The final report

Year of publication: 2009

Comparative action research with a quasi-experimental design was carried out in three towns and three control communities in coastal Bangladesh, Kerala (India) and Sri Lanka. The project tested the effectiveness of a small enterprise model with poor urban women promoting and building sanitary latrines and recycling solid waste, for which the households paid the direct cost. The programme’s costs covered also training, administration and research and were US$ 4,796 per person/per year in 1999 values.

Results

The 4WS (Women, wellbeing, work, waste and sanitation) project could virtually meet all its objectives. 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 were found for 60 young women, as women’s work as masons did not work out. Contrary to project planning, only young unmarried women had come forward to be trained. They did not continue after marriage.

Environmental impact

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. They need more time and cost reduction to become widely accepted and used.

Gender

Gender impacts are the increased participation of women in decision-making, 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 generation of work and income for poor women in all three sites, 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. Four women staff obtained a certificate in Health-related Environmental Biology at the University of Kuopio.

The women’s masonry component was least successful in Karrukapone, as contrary to planning, only adolescent girls came forward for training, who did not continue after marriage. Instead, vocational training was given to 60 young women, leading to income from dressmaking, wedding cake making etc. Besides the originally planned masonry and composting work, including the use of compost and urine fertilizer in a plant nursery, diversification of jobs occurred also in Kerala, where women could take up paper and fibre bag making.

Continuation

Continuity of the approaches in the pilot areas has been ensured with the continuation of the community-level organisations 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. 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 to the work of Plan International and the Red Cross.

- Download:

4WS PROJECT FINAL REPORT for EU.pdf (1.0 MB)