The Adverse impacts of gender-unequal access to safe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WSH) on Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, and Well-being in India: A Rapid Study

The overall objective of the study was to provide an understanding of how gender-differential access to sanitation, and (women’s) personal hygiene impacts reproductive, maternal and child health and nutrition, and overall well-being, and what the behavioural causal linkages in this pathway looked like, for women and girls in India. Specifically, the project aimed to a) Provide a synthesis of the current evidence base on the relationships between gender, WASH with particular reference to hygiene, sanitation, and health and nutritional outcomes, b) Provide an understanding of what access and use practices for hygiene and sanitation look like under different conditions of availability for men, women, and girls in India and c) Identify gaps in knowledge, data/measurement, and policy, and make recommendations
The key activities performed as part of this assignment are listed below:
• Review of existing literature regarding WASH and MNCH linkages
• Dipstick study to generate evidence around gender differential coping mechanism for poor WASH facilities and its health outcome
• CAPI based tools and structured interview schedule were used to gather data.