Summary

Women’s participation in the workforce is often under-represented in both informal and formal roles, which is a serious concern. In the sanitation sector, women are often seen as users, participants, or beneficiaries. However, several women professionals work across the full cycle of sanitation in various roles. They face myriad challenges throughout their careers, and their contributions to the sanitation sector are seldom recognized.

To change this perspective and create awareness about the contributions of women to the sanitation sector, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS)-led Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme (TNUSSP) initiated the Women in Sanitation (WIS) campaign in 2020. The campaign uses basic tools to capture and augment the contribution of women sanitation professionals.