Gender Equity & Social Inclusion
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Lack of funding and information, exclusion from decision-making, poorly designed facilities and restrictive gender norms are common challenges women and girls in Vietnam face in accessing WASH services.” – Elaine Mercer, Institute of Development Studies Access to clean water and sanitation in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam has seen improvements in the last decade, but we know that key barriers remain in terms of equitable access. As part of our commitment to reach last-mile communities, East Meets West integrates a lens for gender equity and social inclusion throughout all our programs to make sure no one is left behind when it comes to water and sanitation. We include key gender and social inclusion indicators in our monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems to track our progress. In our flagship Women-Led Output-Based Aid (WOBA) programs, we support opportunities and benefits in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for everyone in the community, with an emphasis on gender equality and social inclusion. Through these women-led WASH programs, East Meets West partners with local women’s organizations to educate women about good WASH practices. This collaboration equips women and girls to take on leadership roles and influence communities to invest in WASH services. For more information on our women-led water, sanitation, and hygiene program, go to our program page.
