Theme 4 — Gender, Menstrual Health and Social Inclusion
Sanitation is not only an infrastructure issue. It is closely connected with gender equality, health, education, dignity, social norms and access to public spaces. DBPRF conducts research on the social and gender dimensions of sanitation and water, with menstrual health and hygiene as a major area of focus.
This research programme investigates how gender relations, social norms and unequal access to water and sanitation affect health, dignity, safety, mobility, education, livelihoods and participation in public life. Drawing on Sulabh International's experience in sanitation, menstrual-health programming, women's empowerment and the rehabilitation of sanitation workers, the programme will develop evidence on period-friendly WASH services, inclusive infrastructure, menstrual health across the life course, gender-transformative behaviour change, accessible sanitation and the needs of socially and economically marginalised communities.
Its research will support schools, workplaces, public institutions, urban settlements and local governments to design and sustain WASH services that respond to the needs of women, girls, persons with disabilities, sanitation workers, migrants, informal workers, transgender and gender-diverse people, caste-marginalised communities and others who remain underserved.
Between February 2022 and April 2023, Sulabh conducted a study involving 4,389 menstruating women aged 20–49 across 14 districts in seven states. Key findings: 83.4% reported being prevented from visiting religious places; 72.1% were restricted from normal household routines; 57.4% avoided travelling during menstruation; 53% reported inadequate access to menstrual materials; 62.7% reported being unable to dispose of used materials.
Sulabh inaugurated its MHM Knowledge Hub in May 2024 as a platform for research, education, advocacy and practical demonstration. It engages men and boys and connects menstrual health with women's livelihood programmes. The Hub functions as a national research repository, facility-design laboratory, training centre and South–South knowledge-exchange platform.
Sulabh's programme includes 64 school sanitation clubs in 12 Indian states, additional clubs in Nepal, Bhutan and South Africa, and training for approximately 6,500 children across more than 200 schools on sanitation, hygiene and menstrual health.
Sulabh's Nai Disha model combined toilet conversion, literacy, stipends, bank accounts, vocational training, alternative livelihoods and social reintegration — recognising that technology alone could not end caste-based sanitation work. Women needed control over income, skills and social status.
A longitudinal observatory covering selected districts, schools, public toilets, workplaces and communities — tracking the same participants and facilities over several years, measuring material choice and sufficiency, water and soap availability, private changing spaces, pain and referral to health services, participation in education and work, safety and dignity, disposal practices, and changes in attitudes among men, teachers and family members.
Research on what "period-friendly" means operationally across schools, public toilets, markets, transport hubs, factories, farms, healthcare institutions, hostels and mass-gathering sites. The standard assesses the full service: access → privacy → water → changing → washing → materials → pain support → emergency assistance → collection → transport → treatment or disposal.
Testing interventions involving mothers, fathers, boys, male teachers, religious leaders, school management committees, employers, health workers, women's self-help groups and local elected representatives. Distinguishing between gender-sensitive, gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming.
Comparing disposable pads, reusable pads, menstrual underwear and cups across total annual cost, comfort and continuation, water and soap requirements, privacy needs, suitability for persons with limited mobility, supply-chain reliability and environmental impact. The aim is safe and informed choice, not a product-distribution target.
Tracing menstrual waste from user → bin → cleaner → storage → collection → transport → treatment → final disposal. Examining working conditions of toilet cleaners, technologies suitable at school and city scale, operating costs and failure rates of incinerators, and connections with sewered and non-sewered systems.
Co-designing facilities and services with people with mobility and dexterity limitations, visual or hearing impairments, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychosocial disabilities. Examining reach, grip, transfer and changing requirements, accessible information, privacy and consent, and caregiver needs.
Studying street vendors, agricultural labourers, domestic workers, construction workers, factory workers, transport workers, sanitation workers and migrant workers. Examining whether workers can leave workstations to change, whether toilets are available during all shifts, and whether menstrual pain is treated as a legitimate occupational-health need.
Examining how gender and caste structure sanitation employment — recruitment and occupational segregation, wages, exposure to faecal and menstrual waste, equipment designed for women workers, harassment, opportunities for certification and promotion, and women's participation in supervisory and engineering roles.
Photographs from the field will be added to this page soon.