Sanitation Interventions in India: Gender Myopia and Implications for Gender Equality

In India, sanitation interventions have been, by and large, myopic to the gender dimensions of sanitation and hygiene. As a result, women's sanitation and hygiene needs and vulnerabilities have not received adequate attention. While the legal and policy framework related to sanitation highlights some of the concerns of women, implementation at the local level has almost completely neglected them, raising serious concerns from a gender equality point of view. Using a gender perspective, this article takes a critical look at the existing legal and policy framework in India pertaining to sanitation.