Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are nine ways to integrate more gender transformative approaches to WASH funding programs. These practices can help women and girls gain critical leadership skills.

• How are you participating in WASH funding? Does your strategy incorporate a gender lens?

•Here are some useful WASH tools for donors. 

As a sector we are still gathering evidence on what makes up effective gender transformative programming approaches. In this newsletter we suggest nine ideas for criteria.

Gender transformative approaches to programming aim to transform the power structures that underlie unequal gender relations and norms. Empowering marginalised women and girls to come into the public domain, share their perspectives, take on leadership roles, set political agendas and form movements is central to this approach. Working with men and boys as allies and champions of change is also vital in order to challenge and transform dominant social, economic and political structures that perpetuate gender inequality. Transformative approaches also aim to understand how gender inequalities intersect with and compound other inequalities, striving for more complex and nuanced programming.

  1. A level of personal transformation is needed
  2. Know what gender transformation success looks like and how to measure it
  3. Research key gender issues that intersect with WASH in your area
  4. Work with men and boys as allies and champions of change
  5. Facilitate processes and partnerships that lead to stronger women’s participation and engagement
  6. A rights-based theory of change can be useful
  7. Work with the ‘gatekeepers’ of social norms
  8. Know the challenges and potential unplanned consequences
  9. Grapple with the tensions!

Read the full article about WASH funding by Elaine Mercer at WASHfunders.