Bangladesh Participatory Gender Vulnerability Assessment, Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project

In cities with inadequate sanitation systems, risks of flooding and water-logging, can multiply vulnerability of women and girl-children living in poor communities. To address the urgent need for improved sanitation in Dhaka, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) has developed a sewage master plan. The World Bank is supporting DWASA in implementing the master plan and is financing the Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project (DSIP) to implement the first phase of the plan in the Pagla Catchment (one of the five catchments in Dhaka), that includes parts of the old core Dhaka city, has more than 200 low income communities (LICs) and is home to 4.1 million people. The Project will support the construction of a sewage treatment plant, trunk, and sewer networks and demonstrate alternate sanitation innovations, while also strengthening the capacity of DWASA to deliver sanitation services. As part of the DSIP preparations, the World Bank conducted a participatory gender vulnerability assessment (PGVA) with the financial support of the global facility for disaster reduction and recovery (GFDRR). The aim of the exercise was to better understand how poor sanitation affects men and women differently, and what are the specific needs of poor women and girls, particularly during climate-exacerbated disasters. The rationale of the study was to ensure that DSIP responds to women’s and men’s differential sanitation needs and supports resilient sanitation infrastructure and practices for the city. This snapshot presents the highlights and recommendations of the assessment.