Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is a core focus of humanitarian relief. Whether it’s setting up WASH facilities in as part of emergency shelter, or ensuring all people have access to clean and safe water, WASH is one of the must fundamental part of humanitarian work. We know that WASH is a gendered issue: people of different genders have different WASH needs, and play different societal and cultural responsibilities within WASH. These gender issues are most often thought of on a binary basis (women/men), but people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOCIESC) have distinct WASH needs and concerns, too.
People with diverse SOGIESC require access to safe, secure and dignified WASH facilities such as toilets and showers. For trans, non-binary, and third-gender people, public toilet access can be a significant challenge in any setting; in humanitarian settings, this issue is even more acute. People with diverse SOGIESC are harassed or experience violence in WASH contexts—and humanitarian practitioners have a duty to prevent this wherever possible.
The resources available in the WASH category cover an array of topics including: WASH needs and concerns of people with diverse SOGIESC in humanitarian settings in the Pacific, South Asia and elsewhere; guidance for practitioners on taking diverse needs into WASH planning; and reports on inclusive WASH programming.
These resources have been compiled to enable humanitarian practitioners to better understand, include and support the WASH needs and rights of people with diverse SOGIESC.
