Analysis opens tap to gender equality in African sanitation delivery

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contracted JG Afrika and Genesis Analytics to conduct a needs assessment and landscape analysis to pinpoint how the foundation could best support its African-based urban sanitation partners with technical assistance that resulted in targeted and sustainable gender mainstreaming. This research informed recommendations aimed at strengthening gender-responsive urban sanitation delivery.

The team conducted a document review of the foundation’s investments currently underway in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa. Next a needs assessment featured virtual key informant interviews with foundation staff in the fields of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in key countries, and with representatives from a sample of urban sanitation partners in the seven countries.

The landscape analysis involved a desk review of best practice in gender-responsive programming and policies in other comparable sectors outside of WASH, and of the gender contexts in all seven countries. The interviews with key donors and development actors were included in the analysis to understand their experience with gender-responsive WASH programming. The team reviewed this information at project, organisational and policy level.

The final output was a report which summarised support actions recommended for each level. Following these should enable the foundation to fill gaps in gender-responsive urban sanitation delivery in the short and longer term.