Improving Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries: Do Women Policymakers Matter?

Improving access to drinking water and sanitation is a goal with profound implications for the achievement of various sustainable development goals, including health outcomes, education, and food security. This study examines the effects of women policymakers on progress in access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries. We find that increases in the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments is positively associated with access to drinking water and sanitation services for both the total population, urban, and rural populations. Specifically, a 10-percentage point increase in the seats held by women in national parliaments is associated with an increase in the percentage of the total population with access to drinking water and sanitation of 1 per cent and 2.49 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, women parliamentarians are negatively associated with the gap in access to these basic services between urban and rural populations. Education emerges as the main channel through which women parliamentarians improve access to drinking water and sanitation services, while control of corruption and female labour force participation play secondary roles in this process.