Sustainable Development Goal 6 is to ensure access to water and sanitation for all, often abbreviated as SDG 6: WASH. The aim of this goal is to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water, adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all; to end open defecation with special attention to women and girls and those in vulnerable situations; and to improve water quality and security, as well as restoring water-related ecosystems. WASH is a particular challenge for diverse SOGIESC people and communities because of the heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions that go into WASH planning.
SDG 6 is a diverse SOGIESC issue because people with diverse SOGIESC often have unique WASH needs that go unmet by governmental and development programs. For instance, people with diverse SOGIESC may be legally prevented from using public toilets that align with their gender identity, and/or they may be subjected to violence or harassment for doing so. Furthermore, given the higher rates of poverty among communities with diverse SOGIESC, access to clean and safe water can be challenging.
The resources available under SDG 6 cover a wide range of issues including: gaps in WASH programming; recommendations for developing diverse SOGIE-inclusive WASH programming; and emerging best practice around inclusive WASH. WASH is also a Humanitarian Cluster Area, so please be sure to look at WASH resources listed there.
These resources have been compiled to enable development practitioners to develop and implement inclusive WASH programming that moves beyond the gender binary, and to empower practitioners with the knowledge they need to better meet the targets of SDG 6.
