gender and water in Africa

Mounting evidence suggests that lack of water, sanitation and health (WASH) facilities, such as toilets and sinks, disproportionality affect women’s health, education, safety and dignity ( Fisher et al., 2017 ). The disproportionate effects on women were first recognised In 1990 with ‘gender mainstreaming’, and then in 2015, Sustainable development goal 6 called for special attention for girls concerning WASH ( Fisher et al., 2017) . This acknowledgement of gender as a vital concern due to menstrual health and gender-based violence is something I will further illustrate using case studies of Tanzania and Nairobi.   Menstruation in schools    First, I want to look at menstrual hygiene management (MHM). The World Bank (2021p3) describes privacy, soap and water as vital elements of MHM that allow girls to manage menstruation with "dignity and without discomfort or fear". However, limited toilets, with no or infrequent water supply, pose a threat to MHM, this is seen in Tanzania