Panthea Pouramin|Nidhi Nagabhatla|Michela Miletto
A Systematic Review of Water and Gender Interlinkages: Assessing the Intersection With Health
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health|United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health|McMaster University|World Food Programme
background significant developmental challenges lowresource settings limit access sustainable water sanitation hygiene wash however addition reducing human agency dignity gendered wash inequities also increase disease burden among women girls systematic review range challenges experienced women relating inadequate wash resources described intersection health explored assess effectiveness interventions alleviating inequalities related sustainable development goals sdgs 3 health 5 gender 6 water methods searched medline database identify research articles related water ie wash gender sustainability analysis observational interventional studies undertaken study content analysis performed identify relevant wash gender health related outcomes main conclusions study results key themes search included women girls face barriers towards accessing basic sanitation hygiene resources including lack secure private sanitation menstrual hygiene management mhm resources total 71 identified studies reported health outcome suggesting intersection water gender health half research studies included health component reflected relationship wash gender infantile diseases including under5 mortality waterborne parasites stunting addition found women girls result role water purveyors risk exposure contaminated water sustaining musculoskeletal trauma limited number studies directly compared gender differences accessing wash resources even smaller fraction n5 85 reported sexdisaggregated outcomes educational infrastructural programmatic interventions showed promise reducing wash health outcomes indeed infrastructural wash interventions successful longterm maintenance ensured conclusions significant wash inequities women girls manifest health burdens providing strong evidence watergendernexus intersects health thus addressing gender water inequities holds potential alleviate disease burden significant impact achieving sdgs including sdg 3 5 6