Summary of Study Session 5

In Study Session 5, you have learned that:

1. Meaningful participation occurs when everyone in the community actively contributes to all stages of a project.
2. If people participate fully in WASH planning and decision-making processes, they are more likely to be successful and will bring many benefits including improved health and productivity.
3. Community participation is frequently not inclusive because some groups are not represented or not involved in planning and decision making, or because physical or social barriers prevent inclusion of all.
4. Nationally adopted community involvement approaches such as CLTSH, WASHCO and WASH clubs can be revised to make community participation more inclusive.
5. Changing people’s negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities, women and other marginalised groups requires a range of strategies that include collecting evidence of exclusion, raising awareness of the issues and working with others to effect change.
6. There are several organisations that support efforts to change people’s attitudes to excluded groups, including DPOs and organisations that promote women’s empowerment at national, regional and local levels.
7. Factors that affect the sustainability of inclusive WASH facilities can be categorised as financial, environmental, institutional, technical and social.