Disability and gender in rural sanitation

‘Disability’ and ‘Gender’ are major issues on their own, and can be discussed and debated at great length from various perspectives. However when we consider the specifics of rural sanitation it doesn’t need a PhD or major lengthy debates around the issues in order to make a difference to people’s lives, since the technology to provide support in these areas is relatively straight forward. What is required however is the awareness that these are real and essential issues to be considered, and that the responsibility of action lies with ourselves as individuals, to solve the problems and incorporate them within rural sanitation programmes being implemented. This paper tries to emphasise the problems that can be experienced around gender and disability issues, and offers suggestions as to how some of these related problems can be addressed in a very simple manner, so that sanitation practitioners can aim at providing for ALL people within our communities.