Beyond inclusion: practical lessons on striving for gender and disability transformational changes in WASH systems in Cambodia and Timor-Leste

Women and girls, and people with disabilities are often excluded from governance systems and decision-making on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) at all levels – from household to the national level. This paper analyses inclusion and empowerment outcomes for these two groups in three WASH system-strengthening programmes in Cambodia and Timor-Leste. The analysis used WaterAid's ‘Equality and Inclusion Framework’ to assess the quality of inclusion and empowerment outcomes at different levels of WASH systems. The review found that household gender equality changes in Timor-Leste were empowering because they shifted women's and men's roles, relationships and attitudes. It found that women's leadership and disability-inclusive approaches in Cambodia achieved inclusive outcomes because they enhanced women's critical consciousness and increased WASH leaders' awareness of the importance of disability inclusion.