The Criticality of GEDSI for Climate-Resilient WASH

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Blue graphic featuring the cover of this learning brief featuring an illustration of a group of people sitting in a circle drawn from colourful threads

Equitable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) access is a cornerstone of what makes people resilient – a precondition for good health, nutrition, education and livelihood outcomes. Simultaneously, resilient people are integral to making WASH systems, infrastructure and services more climate resilient. Gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) is critical to climate-resilient WASH – but why, and how?

To contribute to learning in this important area, under Water for Women's Learning Agenda partners explored three more specific questions:

  • Within WASH systems, what structural barriers need to be removed to ensure that gendered, social and economic inequalities are addressed? 
  • What pathways are different actors using to transfer power and progress transformation towards climate-resilient inclusive WASH systems and services? 
  • What are the linkages between inclusion, transformation and climate-resilient WASH? 

This brief shares their learnings, including evidence that inclusive and accessible WASH approaches increase coping mechanisms and adaptive capacities, providing a multiplier effect that benefits everybody. However, due to social and gender inequality, many people face barriers to decision-making, access and use of climate-resilient WASH services. 

To address identified Social, Habitat, Institutional, Financial and Technical barriers, three stepping stones developed from the learning provide pathways to incrementally SHIFT barriers to become enablers. SHIFT snapshots from Water for Women projects offer tangible examples from practice.

This brief is part of a series that delves into the broader questions of what climate-resilient inclusive WASH development looks like, and how inclusive WASH strengthens climate resilience.

 

Who is it for?

This learning brief is intended to support WASH and wider development sector actors and partners to better understand the criticality of GEDSI for climate-resilient WASH services, and take GEDSI transformative approaches in WASH and broader development programming as a cornerstone of community resilience.

A thumbnail of the cover of this learning brief featuring an illustration of a group of people sitting in a circle drawn with colourful threads

What does it include?

  • Linkages between GEDSI, WASH and climate resilience 
  • Barriers and enablers to climate-resilient WASH services - access and decision-making 
  • Stepping stones to SHIFT barriers to enablers
  • SHIFT snapshots from Water for Women projects
  • Implications for the WASH sector and beyond

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Citation: Water for Women. (2025). Learning brief: The Criticality of GEDSI for Climate-Resilient WASH. https://www.waterforwomenfund.org/en/news/the-criticality-of-gedsi-for-climate-resilient-wash.aspx

A Water for Women logo locked up with the learning agenda theme logo for Building Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation in Inclusive WASH

Water for Women acknowledges our project partners, whose rich insights and contributions informed this learning brief: WaterAid Timor-Leste and PNG, iDE Cambodia, Thrive Networks / East Meets West Cambodia, World Vision PNG, Plan International PNG, Live & Learn Environmental Education PNG, Plan Indonesia, IRC Pakistan, SNV Bhutan and Nepal, the Centre for Advocacy and Research India, International Water Management Institute Nepal, and icddr,b Bangladesh.

We thank the learning group members for their guidance and leadership of this initiative: Gabrielle Halcrow, SNV Multi-Country Project Manager, Climate Resilient Rural WASH; Arunima Shrestha, iDE WASH Program Fellow, and Rana Sattar iDE WASH Program Manager; Jane Wilbur, LSHTM Assistant Professor, WASH and Disability; Mahbub Ul Alam, icddr,b Associate Scientist, and Shahpara Nawaz, icddr,b Research Trainee; Pamela Carlo, World Vision Vanuatu Inclusive WASH Porftolio Manager; and Juliet Willetts, UTS-ISF Research Director and Professor. 

Thank you to the learning group co-leads for their significant contributions throughout the learning process and development of this learning brief: Joanna Mott, WfW GEDSI Adviser, Lee Leong, WfW Grants Manager/WASH Specialist, Caroline Hardiman, WfW Grants Administrator, Chelsea Huggett, WaterAid Head of Strategy, and Pisey Chea, WaterAid Australia Regional GEDSI Adviser. We also acknowledge and thank Sue Cavill, lead author of the learning brief and the external literature scan, who also developed the analytical framework for data ollection and undertook the synthesis of in-country data. We also thank Aleisha Carroll (IAG-CBM) for her inputs during the review of the learning brief. Finally, we thank Bianca Nelson Vatnsdal and Mia Cusack (WfW Communications) for leading the graphic design and editing process of this brief.

Water for Women acknowledges the Australian Government’s support via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in providing funding to our partners to support climate-resilient, inclusive WASH projects and research across the region and sharing valuable inputs through this learning brief.

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