Towards Transformation: Uptake of new guidance and tools in gender equality and inclusion and WASH

March 2023

 

The University of Technology Sydney – Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF) and partners recently concluded this Innovation and Impact (I&I) project, which facilitated uptake and piloted the use of inclusive WASH workforce tools with water utilities in the Pacific and the WASH-GEM with CSO partners in different country contexts.

 

You can read more about the project and the research findings in the project wrap up:

Expanding the use and influence of new tools for gender equality and women’s empowerment in WASH

 

 

 

 

Blue background with white text stating, 'Innovation & Impact

 

University of Technology Sydney, Institute for Sustainable Futures

Partnering with: iDE, SNV and the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association

Innovation and Impact projects are contributing to ongoing research and development in Water for Women as a way of strengthening the use of new evidence, innovation and practice for inclusive, sustainable and resilient WASH.

 

 

Water for Women is partnering with the University of Technology Sydney, Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF) for the Gender in WASH Partnerships, Workforce and Impact Assessment research project, to support civil society organisations to more strategically engage with other civil society, government and private sector actors to achieve gender and inclusive WASH policy, practice and outcomes.

 

This Innovation and Impact project is facilitating uptake and piloting use of key outputs generated through the Gender in WASH Partnerships, Workforce and Impact Assessment research project, with a focus on WASH workforce and impact assessment, to contribute to gender and inclusion outcomes, such as improved leadership, voice, and choice of women and socially excluded community members.

 

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To address gaps in evidence and guidance for WASH practitioners and
policy-makers, Water for Women partners, led by UTS-ISF have conducted research into three areas of gender equality and WASH:

1. Partnerships with civil society actors.

2. Gender equality and inclusion in the WASH workforce.

3. Impact measurement of gender equality outcomes.

 

Research was conducted in Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Nepal.

 

Through this Innovation and Impact project, partners are increasing the impact of this research by facilitating uptake and piloting the use of key outputs from both the workforce and impact assessment components.

 

As a result of the workforce component of the research, ‘Guidance for WASH Actors to make WASH workplaces more inclusive’ has been developed. This Innovation and Impact project is enabling Pacific water utilities to apply and adapt the guidance resource, expanding dissemination of this work internationally.

 

In partnership with the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA), UTS-ISF has identified ways to communicate the guidance material and interactive database with PWWA water utility members.  Engagement strategies are being co-designed with PWWA and the Asian Development Bank to ensure they are well targeted, meet the needs of member organisations in Pacific nations and complement existing WASH investments and programing in the region.

 

Internationally, UTS-ISF will continue its partnership with the World Bank’s Equal Aqua initiative, as well as supporting and providing leverage for future partnership opportunities with the Australian Water Partnership.

 

Further, the impact assessment component of this project will support the uptake, use and impact of the Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene Gender Equality Measure (WASH-GEM) developed under  the UTS-ISF Water for Women research project.

 

This includes:

  • deploying the WASH-GEM in an accessible open-source platform with automated analysis support and a visually rich results dashboard
  • developing co-designed training packages comprising pre-recorded online modules for a wide range of users
  • providing hands-on training and coaching to teams in SNV and iDE to support the use of WASH-GEM in their programing.

 

The UTS-ISF team will also continue to engage internationally in webinars, conferences and workshops to share both the WASH-GEM and the complementary qualitative monitoring and evaluation methods - qualKit - to assess changes in gender equality in WASH.


The extension and utilisation of this research is strengthening WASH policy and practice, and in doing so, contributing to positive gender and inclusion outcomes.

 

UTS-ISF logo

The Australian aid program is investing in innovation and learning to deepen impact throughout Asia and the Pacific through the Innovation and Impact grants. By supporting partners to further their innovation and impact, we can not only improve WASH outcomes in this region, but also contribute to improved WASH policy and practice globally. Water for Women is proud to be partnering with the University of Technology Sydney, Institute for Sustainable Futures, iDE, SNV and the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association.

 

Header photo: Women working in the WASH sector in Cambodia 
UTS-ISF / Simone Soeters

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