India: Gender in community-managed sanitation programme in Kerala

In the Gender and Agriculture Sourcebook (published by the World Bank, FAO and IFAD in 2008) IRC’s Christine Sijbesma wrote the Innovative Activity Profile 3 India: Gender in community-managed sanitation programme in Kerala. It deals with the state sanitation programme in Kerala, India, which shifted from a supply-driven, externally subsidized approach to a decentralized, community-managed programme covering safe excreta, wastewater, and solid waste disposal. Gender awareness and capacity building were part of the local planning campaign that involved women’s NGOs and water and sanitation NGOs with gender expertise. Gender equity in decision making, local programme management, hygiene and technical education, and economic opportunities for poor women were part of the objectives and strategies.

This chapter is available online and the complete Sourcebook can be downloaded from the web site of the World Bank.