Evaluating changes in gender equality related to water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in rural Nepal: findings from a quasi-experimental evaluation

MacArthur, J; Basnet, MP; Budhathoki, R; Chhetri, A; Yadav, A; Willetts, J

Evaluating changes in gender equality related to water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in rural Nepal: findings from a quasi-experimental evaluation

MacArthur, J

Basnet, MP Budhathoki, R Chhetri, A Yadav, A Willetts, J

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Publisher:: Taylor & Francis
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Development Studies Research, 2025, 12, (1), pp. 2594945
Issue Date:: 2025-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	MacArthur, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6645-5767
dc.contributor.author	Basnet, MP
dc.contributor.author	Budhathoki, R
dc.contributor.author	Chhetri, A
dc.contributor.author	Yadav, A
dc.contributor.author	Willetts, J
dc.date.accessioned	2026-02-26T01:25:22Z
dc.date.available	2026-02-26T01:25:22Z
dc.date.issued	2025-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Development Studies Research, 2025, 12, (1), pp. 2594945
dc.identifier.issn	2166-5095
dc.identifier.issn	2166-5095
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193726
dc.description.abstract	Growing evidence highlights the gender-transformative potential of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions, which can shape gender equality and social inclusion alongside and through improvements in WASH practices, service delivery, and governance. This paper presents results from a quasi-experimental evaluation of the gender-transformative impacts of WASH interventions in the districts of Dailekh and Sarlahi in Nepal between 2020 and 2022. This timeframe also overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation utilized propensity-score-matching and difference-in-difference techniques with the 16-theme water, sanitation, and hygiene–gender equality measure (WASH-GEM) to differentiate results between women and men of varying levels of program involvement. Average scores increased in 10 of the 16 themes for men, while decreasing in 10 themes for women; suggesting that men experienced greater improvements in gendered outcomes. Nonetheless, active participation in the program led to higher benefits or mitigated negative impacts in 15 themes, and women had better outcomes than men in 13 of these. These results suggest that active participation in the program had a positive net benefit for women participants, mitigating the negative gender impacts of the pandemic. This study illustrates the value of gender-transformative WASH programming as a pathway not only to improved WASH but also advancing equality.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Taylor & Francis
dc.relation.ispartof	Development Studies Research
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/21665095.2025.2594945
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1205 Urban and Regional Planning, 1601 Anthropology, 1605 Policy and Administration
dc.subject.classification	4401 Anthropology
dc.subject.classification	4404 Development studies
dc.subject.classification	4407 Policy and administration
dc.title	Evaluating changes in gender equality related to water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in rural Nepal: findings from a quasi-experimental evaluation
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	12
utslib.for	1205 Urban and Regional Planning
utslib.for	1601 Anthropology
utslib.for	1605 Policy and Administration
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-02-26T01:25:10Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	12
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Growing evidence highlights the gender-transformative potential of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions, which can shape gender equality and social inclusion alongside and through improvements in WASH practices, service delivery, and governance. This paper presents results from a quasi-experimental evaluation of the gender-transformative impacts of WASH interventions in the districts of Dailekh and Sarlahi in Nepal between 2020 and 2022. This timeframe also overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation utilized propensity-score-matching and difference-in-difference techniques with the 16-theme water, sanitation, and hygiene–gender equality measure (WASH-GEM) to differentiate results between women and men of varying levels of program involvement. Average scores increased in 10 of the 16 themes for men, while decreasing in 10 themes for women; suggesting that men experienced greater improvements in gendered outcomes. Nonetheless, active participation in the program led to higher benefits or mitigated negative impacts in 15 themes, and women had better outcomes than men in 13 of these. These results suggest that active participation in the program had a positive net benefit for women participants, mitigating the negative gender impacts of the pandemic. This study illustrates the value of gender-transformative WASH programming as a pathway not only to improved WASH but also advancing equality.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193726