Gender Transformative Planning for Urban Sanitation in India
55
of sanitation facilities, especially where women are partners. Creative alternate
financing mechanisms (e.g. micro credit) can be provided to gender-sensitive organizations for improving or building sanitation services. Establishments of women’s
networks are needed that will train women on “how to speak out on the issues they
face and how to negotiate for change.”
Encourage gender-balanced approach in plans: For example, in public and
community toilets, enough thought needs to be given for gender-related location
considerations: proximity of functional facilities, safety measures, supply of water
and electricity, maintenance of light fittings, safe and private entrance to women’s toilets, etc. This will ensure that toilet design and implementation efforts are responsive
to gender needs across different socio-cultural strata.
Mandate Gender Budgeting in all programmes and plans: The above needs
to be budgeted at the planning stage so that there is no resource crunch at the implementation stage. Gender budgeting is an approach so that governments can promote
equality by means of fiscal policy. It includes analysis of how budgets have different
impacts on men and women and allocating money accordingly. It also includes setting targets, e.g. if funding from water and electricity is reduced, it can force women
and girls to spend more time to fetch water instead of going to school or work.
Implement monitoring and evaluation plans to evaluate facilities and use
patterns: There needs to be regular monitoring with emphasis on feedback from
users. This will also help in constant improvisations. Every urban local body should
have a strategy and action plan so that gender elements are woven into planning
and practice. The “Guidelines for Public and Community Toilets management by
cities in Andhra Pradesh,” 2016 developed by Swachh Andhra Corporation (SAC)
in technical collaboration with GIZ India (SNUSP-II), merits mention here. This
document not only provides a blue-print for managing community and public toilet
by the urban local body, it also has a very strong gender focus. Section 1.3 of the
document defines a gender-sensitive toilet. Various sections of the document (3.1,
4.2, 5.4.1) detail out the design considerations for a gender-sensitive toilet, operation
and maintenance plan including safety for women and women’s role in monitoring
of service levels. Sections 5.5 and 5.7 elucidate how women can be integrated in the
awareness generation and user education initiatives. It sums up with a gender needs
checklist for public toilets in Section 6.4.
To end on a positive note, examples of gender-sensitive toilets show that there is
an emerging focus on gender in sanitation. The She-Toilets in Warangal is a public convenience exclusively designed for women with emphasis on privacy, safety
and security. Constructed by Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC),
these are two-seater toilets of which one is designed for specially abled with hand
rail and ramp with railing (to access for people with special needs). They have a
woman caretaker, CCTV, sanitary vending machine, incinerator for disposal of sanitary napkins and a room to keep belongings of users. They also have a customer
feedback machine. Another example is the Sunidhi Toilet constructed by Dindigul
and Madurai Municipal Corporations. These “women only” toilets are located in
busy places with high footfall (bus stands, parks, temples, market areas, etc.) and
have been built in consultation with women stakeholders. They are modular, self
55
of sanitation facilities, especially where women are partners. Creative alternate
financing mechanisms (e.g. micro credit) can be provided to gender-sensitive organizations for improving or building sanitation services. Establishments of women’s
networks are needed that will train women on “how to speak out on the issues they
face and how to negotiate for change.”
Encourage gender-balanced approach in plans: For example, in public and
community toilets, enough thought needs to be given for gender-related location
considerations: proximity of functional facilities, safety measures, supply of water
and electricity, maintenance of light fittings, safe and private entrance to women’s toilets, etc. This will ensure that toilet design and implementation efforts are responsive
to gender needs across different socio-cultural strata.
Mandate Gender Budgeting in all programmes and plans: The above needs
to be budgeted at the planning stage so that there is no resource crunch at the implementation stage. Gender budgeting is an approach so that governments can promote
equality by means of fiscal policy. It includes analysis of how budgets have different
impacts on men and women and allocating money accordingly. It also includes setting targets, e.g. if funding from water and electricity is reduced, it can force women
and girls to spend more time to fetch water instead of going to school or work.
Implement monitoring and evaluation plans to evaluate facilities and use
patterns: There needs to be regular monitoring with emphasis on feedback from
users. This will also help in constant improvisations. Every urban local body should
have a strategy and action plan so that gender elements are woven into planning
and practice. The “Guidelines for Public and Community Toilets management by
cities in Andhra Pradesh,” 2016 developed by Swachh Andhra Corporation (SAC)
in technical collaboration with GIZ India (SNUSP-II), merits mention here. This
document not only provides a blue-print for managing community and public toilet
by the urban local body, it also has a very strong gender focus. Section 1.3 of the
document defines a gender-sensitive toilet. Various sections of the document (3.1,
4.2, 5.4.1) detail out the design considerations for a gender-sensitive toilet, operation
and maintenance plan including safety for women and women’s role in monitoring
of service levels. Sections 5.5 and 5.7 elucidate how women can be integrated in the
awareness generation and user education initiatives. It sums up with a gender needs
checklist for public toilets in Section 6.4.
To end on a positive note, examples of gender-sensitive toilets show that there is
an emerging focus on gender in sanitation. The She-Toilets in Warangal is a public convenience exclusively designed for women with emphasis on privacy, safety
and security. Constructed by Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC),
these are two-seater toilets of which one is designed for specially abled with hand
rail and ramp with railing (to access for people with special needs). They have a
woman caretaker, CCTV, sanitary vending machine, incinerator for disposal of sanitary napkins and a room to keep belongings of users. They also have a customer
feedback machine. Another example is the Sunidhi Toilet constructed by Dindigul
and Madurai Municipal Corporations. These “women only” toilets are located in
busy places with high footfall (bus stands, parks, temples, market areas, etc.) and
have been built in consultation with women stakeholders. They are modular, self