Seeds for Sustainable Solutions - Assessing Transformation in WASH

Session facilitators (from left): Prof. Phil Duncan, Jess MacArthur, Tema Wickham, Collin Benjamin, Ruhil Iyer, Michael Wilson, Manohara Khadka, Zahra Bolouri, Jose Mott, Regina Souter.

Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI), in programs and organisations, leads to better outcomes in water and WASH, achieving SDG targets and reducing social inequalities. Transforming norms are critical to leaving no one behind and ensuring that everyone is part of the solution for a more climate-resilient future. 

Addressing GEDSI in ways that are meaningful and contextually appropriate, requires investing in processes, resources, capacities, knowledge and structures that support transformation at individual, program, organisational and systems levels. 

This engaging, in-depth workshop, Seeds for Sustainable Solutions - Assessing Transformation in WASH, delved into three key tools to help organisations and practitioners explore and measure GEDSI in their work, providing opportunities for participants to interact with the tools and hear reflections from Water for Women partners and SLH, who have applied the tools to their WASH and research programs. 

The workshop had a strong interactive approach, ensuring opportunities for participant engagement at different levels. After an initial orientation of the tools and reflections from partners who have used the tools, participants immersed themselves in a series of ‘tool tasters,’ coordinated by our formidable fruiterer, AWP's Michael Wilson, who ensured group discussions and reflections stayed on track so all tools could be tasted!

Attendees emerged with a stronger sense of the importance of GEDSI reflective practice and dialogue and its critical role in strengthening water, WASH and broader climate resilient development outcomes.

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Key takeaways

• Gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI), in programs and organisations, leads to better outcomes in climate resilient water and WASH, achieving SDG targets and reducing social inequalities.

• Transforming norms are critical to leaving no one behind and ensuring that everyone is part of the solution for a more climate resilient future. 

• Addressing GEDSI in ways that are meaningful and contextually appropriate, requires investing in processes, resources, capacities, knowledge and structures that support transformation at the individual, program, organisation and systems levels. 

• Why transformative change in WASH? 
  - Delving deep: norms change for positive and sustainable behaviour change
  - Inequality goes to the heart of everything = access, participation, resilience, sustainability
  - New ways of working for climate-resilient solutions: partnerships and leadership
• Water for Women and partners have developed three GEDSI tools that can support transformative change for climate-resilient, inclusive water and WASH.

Tool reflections

Partners who were unable to join us in person, shared their reflections on the use of the tools through pre-recorded messages, you can view these below.

Speakers and facilitators

Thank you to all speakers, facilitators and fruiterers involved in this session! 

• Bilal Akbar, Assistant Director, Water Security Section, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Joanna Mott, Gender Equality And Social Inclusion Advisor, Water for Women
• Jess MacArthur, University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures
• Ruhil Iyer, Research Officer, Institute of Development Studies
• Manohara Khadka, Governance And Inclusion, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
• Sabitra Dhakal, GESI Advisor - Program Impact, SNV Nepal (reflection below)
• Nancy Wobo, GESI Officer - WASH - WAVE Project, World Vision PNG (reflection below)
• Rana Abdel-Sattar, WASH Program Manager iDE Cambodia (reflection below)
• Vandy Moung, Design Strategist, iDE Innovation Lab, Cambodia (reflection below)
• Tema Wickham, Plan International Pacific, Solomon Islands
• Collin Benjamin, Lecturer & Researcher, Solomon Islands National University
• Professor Phil Duncan Galambany Professorial Fellow, Centre for Applied Water Science, University of Canberra
• Michael Wilson, Group CEO, eWater Limited (Australian Water Partnership)
• Regina Souter, Research Director, International WaterCentre

Additional resources

Water for Women and partners have developed a number of supplementary resources that can help practitioners improve their WASH programming. We have compiled these resources in our Transformative WASH for Climate Resilience Toolkit. Specific to GEDSI, the following resources are also very useful for this looking to embed GEDSI in their organisations and projects.

• Partnerships for Transformation: Guidance for WASH and Rights Holder Organisations
• Shifting Social Norms for Transformative WASH: Guidance for WASH Actors 
• Stronger systems for inclusive and sustainable WASH

This session was proudly convened with the The University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, International Water Management Institute, the Sanitation Learning Hub, iDE Cambodia, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Australian Water Partnership, World Vision, International WaterCentre at Griffith University, Solomon Islands National University, Plan International and Water for Women