Announcements
Announcements
The authors report the methodological approach and data from a pilot study in Burkina Faso, using the Empowerment in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Index (EWI), a novel survey-based index designed to measure agency, participation and empowerment in the water and sanitation sector.
Water, sanitation and hygiene services are often promoted as critical for women’s empowerment and gender equality. Tools for monitoring water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have focused largely on technical standards related to public health outcomes, overlooking those related to broader human wellbeing such as gender and social equality.
The EWI can be used to assess gender outcomes of a WASH intervention and to monitor changes over time. Drawing on a multi-level conceptualization of empowerment, the EWI is comprised of a suite of indicators at individual, household, and societal levels. The EWI uses responses collected from a male and female respondent at the same household, and represents the proportion of women and men who are empowered, as well as the level of empowerment.
The findings from this pilot study in Burkina Faso highlight the importance of better understanding household- and community-level power and gender relations, such as decision-making related to household water or sanitation spending. By enabling measurement of women’s empowerment, practitioners and policy-makers can identify and incorporate more targeted strategies that address gender disparities and promote empowerment, and also monitor and evaluate their effectiveness.
SEI brief / Learn about the Empowerment in WASH Index (EWI), a new tool for measuring empowerment in the water, sanitation and health sector.
Project / The empowerment in WASH index (EWI) project measures empowerment and social inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
Project / SEI research team will synthesize the existing evidence about gender and social equality (GSE) outcomes of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions.
Feature / Read the key takeaways from the World Water Week session which focused on recommendations for cultivating women’s untapped potential in WASH decision-making.
Media coverage / SEI Africa expert on water systems, Harriette Adhiambo Okal, speaks on 'water wars' and the importance of harnessing technological solutions to water scarcity.
Media coverage / Harriette Adhiambo Okal, Water Systems expert at the SEI Africa speaks on the direct link between water scarcity and economic stability.
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