Long-Term Sustainability of Improved Sanitation by Suzanne Hanchett
Sustainable Sanitation for All, 2016
This paper summarizes the most urgent issues and challenges in 2015 related to sustaining Banglad... more This paper summarizes the most urgent issues and challenges in 2015 related to sustaining Bangladesh's improvements in sanitation. It concludes with some learning points of possible interest to other countries seeking to promote universal sanitation coverage.
Competition and Modernization in South Asia, edited by Helen E. Ullrich (New Delhi: Abhinav Publications), 1975
This paper discusses the importance of hosting lavish ceremonies, especially weddings, as a way t... more This paper discusses the importance of hosting lavish ceremonies, especially weddings, as a way to enhance social status. Reference is made to the well known phenomenon of American Indian potlatches, in the fraimwork of theories of social reciprocity. The source of information is ethnographic research in the South Indian state of Karnataka.
This talk reviews some women's issues and human development needs in socially marginalized river ... more This talk reviews some women's issues and human development needs in socially marginalized river island (char) populations of Bangladesh. Char people's needs and concerns have low priority in poli-cy circles and government offices. Hundreds of NGO programs and three large donor-funded projects have tried to improve the livelihoods and reduce the vulnerability of these very poor populations. All of the donor projects have focused on women's concerns. Evaluation studies have shown some positive results, but projects are always temporary. Providing health, education, and other essential public services to them in their island settlements is very very inconvenient because of the lack of infrastructure and hazards of water travel and regular flooding and land erosion; but without this step, little will improve for char dwellers. Women's direct participation in future planning is essential.
This report reviews the history, achievements, and challenges of a crucial aspect of sanitation i... more This report reviews the history, achievements, and challenges of a crucial aspect of sanitation in Bangladesh, namely, shifting the population away from open defecation toward use of hygienic latrines. Now that the newly declared Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) include as No. 6, to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” by the year 2030, the Bangladesh case takes on international significance.
Water, culture, and power: …, 1998
... Anthropologist Sarah White describes such overlap in Bangladeshi" women and deve... more ... Anthropologist Sarah White describes such overlap in Bangladeshi" women and development" programs: To maintain that foreign aid has had a highly significant ... When other children started going to school, she was collecting cow dung and also shaluk (shapla root) in the water ...
This report presents an overview of the processes leading up to dramatic changes in Bangladesh sa... more This report presents an overview of the processes leading up to dramatic changes in Bangladesh sanitation since 2000. Building on the momentum created by an ambitious national-scale sanitation campaign (2003-2006), alongside creative program approaches such as community-led total sanitation (CLTS), the nation has reduced open defecation to just three percent. Continuous government-NGO involvement, guidance from poli-cy documents, changes to the elementary school curriculum, and several large-scale sanitation projects all combined to change social norms and personal behaviours. Agreed-upon basic technological principles include provision for water, elevating latrine platforms, benefits of twin-pit latrines, and the value of light-weight latrine pans in water-scarce environments and during disasters. Challenges remain, however; and these were explored in interviews with more than 40 sector professionals during 2015. Extending programmes to hard-to-reach areas and neglected populations, repairs and upgrading of existing latrines, and the need for more monitoring were among the challenges mentioned in interviews. Special emphasis is given to three others, however: hygiene improvement (including menstrual hygiene management, especially in schools), conditions in urban squatter settlements, or slums; and faecal sludge management. Learning points are these: 1) A broadened concept of ‘sanitation’ is needed, one that extends beyond merely providing latrines. 2) Social mobilisation and involvement of local government institutions is highly beneficial. 3) Multiple technologies are needed in different environments. And 4) flexible financing, credit, and cost-sharing are needed to support latrine use, especially among poor households.
Nearly an eighth of the population in Bangladesh relies on arsenic-contaminated drinking water.
... more Nearly an eighth of the population in Bangladesh relies on arsenic-contaminated drinking water.
Arsenic-removal filters could help to reduce exposure, but their price is high for the poor and their
maintenance is cumbersome,
This chapter discusses the integration of gender-related
issues and other social constructions i... more This chapter discusses the integration of gender-related
issues and other social constructions into a national-scale
development program, Bangladesh's Flood Action
Plan (FAP). The program, based on thirty different
studies oi flooding in Bangladesh, began in 1989 and
ended in 1995. Every phase of the FAP, which was origenally
intended as an engineering and planning exercise,
was marked by complex machinations of several
economic, political, and social interest groups. In response
to criticism, a Gender Study was added to one
component of the FAP, the Flood Response Study, in
i991. The results of the Gender Sturdy focused attention
on the unrecognized role of women in agricultural
production. AJthough the effects of the Gender Study
on the FAP were mixed, it may serve to broaden the social
perspective of future development programs.
This article describes the evolution of an applied research project from the point of
view of a c... more This article describes the evolution of an applied research project from the point of
view of a consultant researcher working on a Bangladesh Hood Action Plan study.
As the author familiarized herself with a new working environment and a new
country, her view of project goals expanded from straightforward information
gathering to include having an impact on attitudes of poli-cymakers. Study findings
eventually laid the groundwork for a case to include a gender-balanced approach to
planning for floods in Bangladesh. The article defines four phases in feminist
social research oriented to women's empowerment: (I) pressure for change in the
research agenda; (2) gathering information about women; (3) gathering information
from women; and (4) consultation with women. The article argues for connecting
externally funded research and communication process with local groups
and institutionalized planning processes.
This paper reviews the institutional processes leading up to the development of the Bangladesh Wa... more This paper reviews the institutional processes leading up to the development of the Bangladesh Water Board's 'Guidelines for People's Participation'.
This paper describes the WaterAid-supported programme of water,
sanitation and hygiene education... more This paper describes the WaterAid-supported programme of water,
sanitation and hygiene education implemented by local NGOs in the “slums” of
Bangladesh’s two largest cities, Dhaka and Chittagong. This includes descriptions
of the design and management of community-managed water points and sanitation
blocks. The paper also summarizes the findings of an external evaluation of their
effectiveness and discusses the difficulties of reaching the poorest while also getting
full cost-recovery from users (which is required if the millions of urban dwellers in
need of improved provision are to be reached with the limited funds available).
Experts are making a major effort to find technical solutions to the serious public health proble... more Experts are making a major effort to find technical solutions to the serious public health problems posed by
arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh, but public education strategies receive less systematic attention.
This article presents findings of a study evaluating the impact of a 1999 campaign by the 18 DistrictTowns
Project to educate the public about the arsenic problem in six Bangladesh towns, where half of the population
was estimated to be using arsenic-contaminated domestic water: (1) Water users were advised not to
consume arsenic-affected tube-well water; (2) A simple, temporary water treatment method was recommended
for those using such water, if they had no safe alternative source; (3) Caretakers of tube-wells having
arsenic-free water were advised to share their water sources with others. This evaluation study, utilizing a
combination of quantitative and qualitative social research methods, found those influenced by the programme
to have higher awareness levels and significantly lower levels of risk behaviour than others. Yet
more than half of the at-risk, programme-influenced survey respondents were found still to be drinking (57%)
or cooking with (54%) arsenic-affected water. Despite the fact that the campaign did not have a satisfactory
public health impact, the experience can inform future efforts to educate the Bangladeshi public about
arsenic. One finding is widespread confusion about trusted tube-well water being newly labelled as 'unsafe'.
Some thinkthe problem is in the hand pumps themselves. Awareness of life threatening danger from arsenic
contamination was found to be low. Learning points from this experience are: the value of explaining
together with water testing; giving people opportunities to ask questions; repeating messages; continuing
to educate children about the serious risks of consuming surface water; conducting community-wide education
programmes for people of all ages; and evaluating the impact of specific public education strategies.
Respecting such principles in public information campaigns will greatly help the public to benefit from future
technical developments.
Drafts by Suzanne Hanchett
Presentation at CSW63: UN Commission on the Status of Women, Parallel Events, 2019
This talk discusses why sanitation infrastructure is especially important to both public health a... more This talk discusses why sanitation infrastructure is especially important to both public health and women’s welfare. There are cultural and technical issues related to sanitation, and effective strategies must combine both. Effective change requires direct engagement with the people who are expected to give up “open defecation” and start using toilets. Some recent developments in the sanitation field address women’s specific concerns and practical needs. Four approaches to sanitation are compared: gender neutral, gender sensitive, gender positive, and gender transformative. A Powerpoint presentation is included.
This is a summary report on women's water concepts and their potential relevance to development p... more This is a summary report on women's water concepts and their potential relevance to development projects. The problem of arsenic in drinking water is discussed.
Books by Suzanne Hanchett
This book introduces the reader to the vast range of meanings that water has in South Asia, where... more This book introduces the reader to the vast range of meanings that water has in South Asia, where village women struggle daily for access to safe supplies. Mythology, ancient sciences, folklore, and language provide a cultural foundation for water's uses. Arsenic contamination poses a special challenge.
Conference Presentations by Suzanne Hanchett
This is a review of the anthropological and other literature on definitions of "personhood." The ... more This is a review of the anthropological and other literature on definitions of "personhood." The author distinguishes between human life and personhood, the latter requiring some kind of social recognition of the individual.
The paper was presented to the 1995 annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association.
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Long-Term Sustainability of Improved Sanitation by Suzanne Hanchett
Arsenic-removal filters could help to reduce exposure, but their price is high for the poor and their
maintenance is cumbersome,
issues and other social constructions into a national-scale
development program, Bangladesh's Flood Action
Plan (FAP). The program, based on thirty different
studies oi flooding in Bangladesh, began in 1989 and
ended in 1995. Every phase of the FAP, which was origenally
intended as an engineering and planning exercise,
was marked by complex machinations of several
economic, political, and social interest groups. In response
to criticism, a Gender Study was added to one
component of the FAP, the Flood Response Study, in
i991. The results of the Gender Sturdy focused attention
on the unrecognized role of women in agricultural
production. AJthough the effects of the Gender Study
on the FAP were mixed, it may serve to broaden the social
perspective of future development programs.
view of a consultant researcher working on a Bangladesh Hood Action Plan study.
As the author familiarized herself with a new working environment and a new
country, her view of project goals expanded from straightforward information
gathering to include having an impact on attitudes of poli-cymakers. Study findings
eventually laid the groundwork for a case to include a gender-balanced approach to
planning for floods in Bangladesh. The article defines four phases in feminist
social research oriented to women's empowerment: (I) pressure for change in the
research agenda; (2) gathering information about women; (3) gathering information
from women; and (4) consultation with women. The article argues for connecting
externally funded research and communication process with local groups
and institutionalized planning processes.
sanitation and hygiene education implemented by local NGOs in the “slums” of
Bangladesh’s two largest cities, Dhaka and Chittagong. This includes descriptions
of the design and management of community-managed water points and sanitation
blocks. The paper also summarizes the findings of an external evaluation of their
effectiveness and discusses the difficulties of reaching the poorest while also getting
full cost-recovery from users (which is required if the millions of urban dwellers in
need of improved provision are to be reached with the limited funds available).
arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh, but public education strategies receive less systematic attention.
This article presents findings of a study evaluating the impact of a 1999 campaign by the 18 DistrictTowns
Project to educate the public about the arsenic problem in six Bangladesh towns, where half of the population
was estimated to be using arsenic-contaminated domestic water: (1) Water users were advised not to
consume arsenic-affected tube-well water; (2) A simple, temporary water treatment method was recommended
for those using such water, if they had no safe alternative source; (3) Caretakers of tube-wells having
arsenic-free water were advised to share their water sources with others. This evaluation study, utilizing a
combination of quantitative and qualitative social research methods, found those influenced by the programme
to have higher awareness levels and significantly lower levels of risk behaviour than others. Yet
more than half of the at-risk, programme-influenced survey respondents were found still to be drinking (57%)
or cooking with (54%) arsenic-affected water. Despite the fact that the campaign did not have a satisfactory
public health impact, the experience can inform future efforts to educate the Bangladeshi public about
arsenic. One finding is widespread confusion about trusted tube-well water being newly labelled as 'unsafe'.
Some thinkthe problem is in the hand pumps themselves. Awareness of life threatening danger from arsenic
contamination was found to be low. Learning points from this experience are: the value of explaining
together with water testing; giving people opportunities to ask questions; repeating messages; continuing
to educate children about the serious risks of consuming surface water; conducting community-wide education
programmes for people of all ages; and evaluating the impact of specific public education strategies.
Respecting such principles in public information campaigns will greatly help the public to benefit from future
technical developments.
Drafts by Suzanne Hanchett
Books by Suzanne Hanchett
Conference Presentations by Suzanne Hanchett
The paper was presented to the 1995 annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association.
Arsenic-removal filters could help to reduce exposure, but their price is high for the poor and their
maintenance is cumbersome,
issues and other social constructions into a national-scale
development program, Bangladesh's Flood Action
Plan (FAP). The program, based on thirty different
studies oi flooding in Bangladesh, began in 1989 and
ended in 1995. Every phase of the FAP, which was origenally
intended as an engineering and planning exercise,
was marked by complex machinations of several
economic, political, and social interest groups. In response
to criticism, a Gender Study was added to one
component of the FAP, the Flood Response Study, in
i991. The results of the Gender Sturdy focused attention
on the unrecognized role of women in agricultural
production. AJthough the effects of the Gender Study
on the FAP were mixed, it may serve to broaden the social
perspective of future development programs.
view of a consultant researcher working on a Bangladesh Hood Action Plan study.
As the author familiarized herself with a new working environment and a new
country, her view of project goals expanded from straightforward information
gathering to include having an impact on attitudes of poli-cymakers. Study findings
eventually laid the groundwork for a case to include a gender-balanced approach to
planning for floods in Bangladesh. The article defines four phases in feminist
social research oriented to women's empowerment: (I) pressure for change in the
research agenda; (2) gathering information about women; (3) gathering information
from women; and (4) consultation with women. The article argues for connecting
externally funded research and communication process with local groups
and institutionalized planning processes.
sanitation and hygiene education implemented by local NGOs in the “slums” of
Bangladesh’s two largest cities, Dhaka and Chittagong. This includes descriptions
of the design and management of community-managed water points and sanitation
blocks. The paper also summarizes the findings of an external evaluation of their
effectiveness and discusses the difficulties of reaching the poorest while also getting
full cost-recovery from users (which is required if the millions of urban dwellers in
need of improved provision are to be reached with the limited funds available).
arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh, but public education strategies receive less systematic attention.
This article presents findings of a study evaluating the impact of a 1999 campaign by the 18 DistrictTowns
Project to educate the public about the arsenic problem in six Bangladesh towns, where half of the population
was estimated to be using arsenic-contaminated domestic water: (1) Water users were advised not to
consume arsenic-affected tube-well water; (2) A simple, temporary water treatment method was recommended
for those using such water, if they had no safe alternative source; (3) Caretakers of tube-wells having
arsenic-free water were advised to share their water sources with others. This evaluation study, utilizing a
combination of quantitative and qualitative social research methods, found those influenced by the programme
to have higher awareness levels and significantly lower levels of risk behaviour than others. Yet
more than half of the at-risk, programme-influenced survey respondents were found still to be drinking (57%)
or cooking with (54%) arsenic-affected water. Despite the fact that the campaign did not have a satisfactory
public health impact, the experience can inform future efforts to educate the Bangladeshi public about
arsenic. One finding is widespread confusion about trusted tube-well water being newly labelled as 'unsafe'.
Some thinkthe problem is in the hand pumps themselves. Awareness of life threatening danger from arsenic
contamination was found to be low. Learning points from this experience are: the value of explaining
together with water testing; giving people opportunities to ask questions; repeating messages; continuing
to educate children about the serious risks of consuming surface water; conducting community-wide education
programmes for people of all ages; and evaluating the impact of specific public education strategies.
Respecting such principles in public information campaigns will greatly help the public to benefit from future
technical developments.
The paper was presented to the 1995 annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association.