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Sanitation and Personal Hygiene

Author

Listed:
  • B. Suresh Reddy

    (Research Unit for Livelihoods and Natural Resources, Centre for Economics and Social Studies (CESS), N.O. Campus, Begumpet, Hyderabad, India. E-mail: srihithasuresh@yahoo.com)

  • M. Snehalatha

    (International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) Netherlands in four countries (India, Ghana, Mozambique and Burkino Faso). E-mail: sneha_sreedhar@yahoo.com)

Abstract

Sanitation is an important index of socio-economic development. Low sanitation levels lead to a host of diseases, making sanitation a key public health issue and concomitant of a clean water supply. Based on field work in two urban slums of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, this article points out that sanitation implies much more than defecation issues and that it converges on several important aspects of life, such as shame and dignity and personal hygiene. Women themselves defined what is appropriate sanitation. Cleaning tasks are primarily performed by women who receive little support from men. We argue for the need to give women a central role in decision-making, designing, planning and implementation of sanitation programmes. Women’s definitions of the minimum standards of hygienic practices are clearly brought out by the study.

Suggested Citation

  • B. Suresh Reddy & M. Snehalatha, 2011. "Sanitation and Personal Hygiene," Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Centre for Women's Development Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 381-404, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:indgen:v:18:y:2011:i:3:p:381-404
    DOI: 10.1177/097152151101800305
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Godfred O Boateng & Shalean M Collins & Patrick Mbullo & Pauline Wekesa & Maricianah Onono & Torsten B Neilands & Sera L Young, 2018. "A novel household water insecurity scale: Procedures and psychometric analysis among postpartum women in western Kenya," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-28, June.
    2. Julie Hennegan & Linnea Zimmerman & Alexandra K. Shannon & Natalie G. Exum & Funmilola OlaOlorun & Elizabeth Omoluabi & Kellogg J. Schwab, 2018. "The Relationship between Household Sanitation and Women’s Experience of Menstrual Hygiene: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Kaduna State, Nigeria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Brewis, Alexandra & Wutich, Amber & du Bray, Margaret V. & Maupin, Jonathan & Schuster, Roseanne C. & Gervais, Matthew M., 2019. "Community hygiene norm violators are consistently stigmatized: Evidence from four global sites and implications for sanitation interventions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 12-21.

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