Gender in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programmes Training Course

Course Introduction

Gender-responsive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programmes are essential for improving public health, reducing inequalities, promoting dignity, and ensuring equitable access to safe water and sanitation services for all. Women, girls, men, boys, persons with disabilities, older persons, and other vulnerable populations experience unique challenges related to water access, sanitation facilities, hygiene practices, and decision-making. This Gender in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programmes Training Course equips participants with practical knowledge, international standards, and implementation tools to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate inclusive WASH interventions that address gender inequalities while improving health, resilience, and sustainable development outcomes.

Across many communities, unequal access to water and sanitation disproportionately affects women and girls, increasing their burden of water collection, limiting educational opportunities, exposing them to gender-based violence, and compromising health and economic productivity. Persons with disabilities, displaced populations, and marginalized communities also face accessibility and inclusion challenges within WASH services. This course enables participants to understand gender dynamics within WASH programming, identify barriers to equitable service delivery, and develop practical solutions that strengthen inclusion, protection, accessibility, and community participation across diverse development and humanitarian contexts.

The course combines internationally recognized WASH frameworks with practical learning through case studies, participatory assessments, gender analyses, stakeholder mapping, facility accessibility reviews, project design workshops, and implementation planning exercises. Participants will strengthen competencies in gender analysis, WASH needs assessment, hygiene promotion, sanitation planning, menstrual hygiene management, disability inclusion, climate-resilient WASH systems, monitoring and evaluation, and community engagement. Practical exercises ensure participants gain the confidence to integrate gender-responsive approaches into WASH policies, projects, and institutional strategies.

Rapid urbanization, climate change, humanitarian emergencies, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, water scarcity, environmental degradation, population growth, and emerging public health threats continue to reshape WASH programming globally. This course explores emerging issues including climate-resilient WASH infrastructure, digital water management systems, smart sanitation technologies, AI-assisted monitoring, menstrual health innovations, inclusive disaster preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, water governance, circular sanitation systems, and sustainable financing models that strengthen resilience while ensuring equitable access to WASH services.

Participants will strengthen their capacity to integrate gender-responsive approaches into WASH governance, policy development, infrastructure planning, humanitarian response, school WASH, healthcare facilities, rural water supply, urban sanitation, monitoring systems, and institutional management. The training emphasizes rights-based programming, stakeholder participation, evidence-based planning, safeguarding, accountability, environmental sustainability, and continuous organizational learning while providing practical tools that improve service delivery, public health, and inclusive development outcomes.

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will possess the technical expertise, analytical skills, and leadership competencies required to design and manage inclusive WASH programmes that address gender inequalities and improve community well-being. They will be equipped to strengthen institutional capacity, improve access to safe water and sanitation, promote hygiene behavior change, enhance resilience, support vulnerable populations, and contribute to sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient WASH systems that leave no one behind.

Duration

5 days

Who Should Attend

• WASH programme managers and coordinators

• Water and sanitation engineers

• Public health professionals

• Gender and social inclusion specialists

• NGO and civil society organization staff

• Humanitarian and emergency response personnel

• Government water and sanitation officials

• Community development officers

• Monitoring and evaluation specialists

• Environmental health practitioners

• School health and education officers

• Donor agency staff

• Researchers and academic professionals

• Disaster risk reduction practitioners

• Development consultants working in WASH

Course Objectives

• Develop comprehensive knowledge of gender-responsive WASH principles, international standards, and inclusive programming approaches that improve equitable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

• Strengthen participants' ability to conduct gender analyses, WASH needs assessments, and accessibility evaluations that identify barriers affecting women, girls, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable populations.

• Equip participants with practical skills for integrating gender equality, disability inclusion, safeguarding, and protection principles into WASH project design, implementation, and service delivery systems.

• Enhance competencies in designing inclusive water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion, and menstrual health management programmes that respond to diverse community needs and priorities.

• Build participants' capacity to strengthen community participation, stakeholder engagement, and behavior change communication that supports sustainable and gender-responsive WASH outcomes.

• Improve understanding of climate-resilient WASH infrastructure, environmental sustainability, public health protection, water governance, and resource management using inclusive development approaches.

• Enable participants to establish monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems using gender-sensitive indicators that measure WASH service quality, accessibility, health outcomes, and program effectiveness.

• Strengthen leadership, partnership-building, advocacy, and policy development skills required to influence inclusive WASH governance and institutional accountability at national and local levels.

• Develop practical approaches for integrating gender-responsive WASH programming into humanitarian response, schools, healthcare facilities, climate adaptation, and urban and rural development initiatives.

• Explore emerging issues including artificial intelligence, digital water management, smart sanitation technologies, circular sanitation systems, antimicrobial resistance, and innovative financing for sustainable WASH services.

Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Gender and WASH Programmes

• Understanding gender dimensions within water, sanitation, and hygiene programming.

• International WASH standards, SDGs, and human rights-based programming approaches.

• Gender equality, social inclusion, and equitable access to WASH services.

• Institutional roles and governance frameworks supporting inclusive WASH initiatives.

Module 2: Gender Analysis and WASH Needs Assessment

• Conducting gender-responsive WASH assessments using participatory data collection methods.

• Identifying barriers affecting water access, sanitation, and hygiene service utilization.

• Assessing accessibility needs for persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations.

• Applying intersectional analysis to strengthen inclusive WASH programme planning.

Module 3: Inclusive WASH Programme Design

• Designing gender-responsive WASH interventions using evidence-based planning methodologies.

• Integrating gender equality into water supply and sanitation infrastructure projects.

• Developing inclusive hygiene promotion strategies for diverse community populations.

• Preparing logical frameworks and implementation plans for sustainable WASH programmes.

Module 4: Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management

• Promoting menstrual health management through inclusive education and infrastructure planning.

• Designing safe, accessible, and gender-sensitive sanitation facilities in institutions.

• Addressing stigma, cultural barriers, and social norms affecting menstrual hygiene.

• Integrating menstrual health into school, workplace, and community WASH programmes.

Module 5: Community Engagement and Behavior Change

• Strengthening community participation in planning and managing WASH services effectively.

• Applying behavior change communication strategies that promote hygiene and sanitation.

• Building partnerships with governments, NGOs, and community organizations for sustainability.

• Facilitating inclusive stakeholder engagement and community-led sanitation initiatives.

Module 6: Climate-Resilient and Sustainable WASH

• Integrating climate adaptation into water supply and sanitation programme planning.

• Promoting sustainable water resource management and environmental conservation practices.

• Addressing droughts, floods, and climate risks affecting WASH service delivery.

• Strengthening resilience through innovative and climate-smart WASH infrastructure solutions.

Module 7: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability

• Developing gender-sensitive WASH indicators for monitoring programme performance effectively.

• Measuring accessibility, equity, health outcomes, and service delivery improvements.

• Conducting participatory evaluations using qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

• Strengthening organizational accountability through evidence-based reporting and learning.

Module 8: WASH in Humanitarian and Institutional Settings

• Integrating gender-responsive WASH into humanitarian preparedness and emergency response.

• Strengthening WASH services within schools, healthcare facilities, and refugee settings.

• Promoting protection, safeguarding, and inclusive service delivery during emergencies.

• Coordinating multisectoral WASH interventions that improve resilience and recovery outcomes.

Module 9: Emerging Issues and Innovation

• Artificial intelligence supporting WASH monitoring, planning, and resource management systems.

• Digital water management platforms and smart sanitation technology innovations.

• Circular sanitation systems, antimicrobial resistance, and sustainable infrastructure solutions.

• Future trends in water governance, financing, localization, and inclusive WASH programming.

Module 10: Action Planning and Best Practices

• Developing institutional action plans for gender-responsive WASH programme implementation.

• Reviewing international case studies demonstrating successful inclusive WASH initiatives.

• Preparing organizational roadmaps for strengthening gender integration within WASH systems.

• Creating continuous improvement strategies through innovation, partnerships, and adaptive management.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.