M2: ecosan - an Approach to Human Dignity, Community Health and Food Security M 2-3: ecosan and Human Dignity K. Conradin J. Heeb Navsarjan Katharina Conradin, seecon international Dr. Johannes Heeb, International Ecological Engineering Society & seecon international Prof. Dr. Petter Jenssen, Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Dr. Ken Gnanakan, ACTS Bangalore, India © 2006 seecon International gmbh ACTS Agriculture -Crafts - Trades - Studies DEMO-VERSION: LINKS TO EXTERNAL DOCUMENTS WILL NOT WORK!

K. Conradin Materials included in this CD-ROM comprise materials from various organisations. The materials complied on this CD are freely available at the internet, following the open-source concept for capacity building and non-profit use, provided proper acknowledgement of the source is made. The publication of these materials on this CD- ROM does not alter any existing copyrights. Material published on this CD for the first time follows the same open-source concept for capacity building and non-profit use, with all rights remaining with the original authors / producing organisations. Therefore the user should please always give credit in citations to the original author, source and copyright holder. We thank all individuals and institutions that have provided information for this CD, especially the German Agency for Technical Cooperation GTZ, Ecosanres, Ecosan Norway, the International Water and Sanitation Centre IRC, the Stockholm Environment Institute SEI, the World Health Organisation WHO, the Hesperian Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA, the Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries SANDEC of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Sanitation by Communities SANIMAS, the Stockholm International Water Institute SIWI, the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council WSSCC, the World Water Assessment Programme of the UNESCO, the Tear Fund, Wateraid, and all others that have contributed in some way to this curriculum. We apologize in advance if references are missing or incorrect, and welcome feedback if errors are detected. We encourage all feedback on the composition and content of this curriculum. Please direct it either to or seecon Credits K. Conradin

ecosan Curriculum - Credits Concept and ecosan expertise:Johannes Heeb, Petter D. Jenssen, Ken Gnanakan Compiling of Information: Katharina Conradin Layout:Katharina Conradin Photo Credits:Mostly Johannes Heeb & Katharina Conradin, otherwise as per credit. Text Credits:As per source indication. Financial support:Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) How to obtain the curriculum material Free download of PDF tutorials: Order full curriculum € 50 (€ 10 Developing Countries) Release:1.0, March 2006, 1000 copies Feedback:Feedback regarding improvements, errors, experience of use etc. is welcome. Please notify the above -addresses. Sources Copyright:Copyright of the individual sources lies with the authors or producing organizations. Copying is allowed as long as references are properly acknowledged. seecon Credits K. Conradin

Contents 1.Introduction 2.Women’s Dignity Quotes Addressing key needs 3.Sanitation and Caste Film: Lesser Humans 4.ecosan and manual scavenging Effects on Caste System and Scavenging ecosan: Effects on Caste System and Scavenging 5.ecosan and Human Dignity 6.ecosan implemented: Reactions J. Heeb

Introduction  “Access to sanitation facilities is a fundamental human right that safeguards health and human dignity.”  Every human being deserves protection from health problems (dysentery, cholera etc.)  Convention on the Rights of the Child  Without immediate action, number of people without adequate sanitation will climb to more than 4.5 billion in just 20 years. Source: (2) J. Heeb

Women’s Dignity  Girls and women wait until after dark to defecate →discomfort and sometimes serious illness as a result. →Danger of harassment, assault & rape  Girls miss out on an education if school sanitation facilities are inadequate. →Impedes their rightful development (education)  But also sick and elderly people face special difficulty and a loss of dignity Source: (2) J. Heeb

Women’s Dignity: Quotes “I go out in open to defecate. Due to the continuous stare of men, I have to get up again and again in between the process of defecation.” Babita, age 27, Sanjay Amar Colony, an urban slum in Delhi, India Source: (3) “I gave birth to my children while I was living in the same jhuggi (slum). After giving birth to the child I do not eat food for two days and so there is no need to go to a latrine. But after two days I go to the same place in open to defecate. When I go out to defecate my elder children do baby sitting for the younger ones but there are times when the babies are left alone in the jhuggi with no one to take care of them.” Miradevi, age 35, Sanjay Amar Colony Source: (3) Source: (3)

Gender Approach: Addressing key needs: Major factors for a gender approach: focus on both women and men  “Access to water is  a fundamental human right and  an integral ingredient in the achievement of sustainable development and poverty alleviation.  gender equality,  freeing women and girls: more time for education, income generation  Each year, more than 2.2 million people die diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.  Huge social and environmental health costs  Targeting women is critical to the sustainability of water and sanitation initiatives  If water management is to be democratic and transparent both men and women must have an equal say  more sustainable Source: (7)

Sanitation and Caste  Human dignity and sanitation:  Manual Scavenging: practice of manually cleaning and removing human excreta from dry (non-flush) toilets.  no protective equipment  sometimes with bare hands  Caste system: this ‘work’ is attributed to the lowest of the low – the so called Untouchables, or Dalits.  800’000 scavengers in India, mainly women Source: (4) Navsarjan

Sanitation and Caste Despite governmental plans, allotted resources, and Commission, Committees set up since 1947: –inhuman practice continues today in India, –government bodies themselves employing scavengers Available data on scavengers suggests an increase in numbers: 1989: 600’000 scavengers in India (National Planning Commission : (Ministry of Welfare) → increase of 31.16% in less than a decade! Source: (9) Navsarjan

Sanitation and Caste Scavenging implies serious health hazards: –Respiratory difficulties –Jaundice –Cholera, dysentery, –mental stress, –skin diseases –Anaemia –Etc. Liberation calls for:  abolishing of dry latrines/toilets  educational programmes  rehabilitation programmes into diversified employment. Source: (9) Navsarjan

Film: Lesser Humans (by: Ford Foundation) Click here to open it.here Film Document: Lesser Humans (by Ford Foundation) Source: K. Stalin, produced by Drishti Collectives (shortened version)

ecosan: Effects on Caste System and Scavenging The practice of carrying out „filthy“ work affirms their physical uncleanli- ness/impurity. Caste System Dalits are hereditarily required to do the lowest, most inhumane and filthiest jobs, which is e.g. manual scavenging. Dalits are at the lowest position of the caste system. They are considered impure by birth. Physical impurity through impure jobs reinforces their state in the Caste System as Untouchables, as Dalits. The unhygienic job leads to illnesses and is thus often physically visible. Because of these reasons, Dalits are considered unclean and thus untouchable. Source: K. Conradin Navsarjan

ecosan: Effects on Caste System and Scavenging Caste System Dalits are at the lowest position of the caste system. They are consider- ed impure by birth. Physical impurity through impure jobs reinforces their state in the Caste System as Untouchables, as Dalits. The practice of carrying out „filthy“ work affirms their physical uncleanli- ness/impurity. The unhygienic job leads to illnesses and is thus often physically visible. Because of these reasons, Dalits are considered unclean and thus untouchable. Dalits are hereditarily required to do the lowest, most inhumane and filthiest jobs, which is e.g. manual scavenging. ECOSAN can help to abolish the degrading and unclean practice of manual scavenging by making it a hygienic and respectable (socially viable) task. Source: K. Conradin

++ Dignity and Poverty Double burden of the poor: –poor face the pollution of their own defecation, –live beside water bodies that have been released from urban sewers.  Access to clean water and proper sanitation is a necessary precursor to development.  Lack of clean water and adequate sanitation contribute to people remaining in the poverty trap. Source: (1) B. Lietzke

++ Dignity and poverty Basic issue in poverty: –identity and dignity. The poor often lack identity as humans, and therefore lose their dignity. Water and sanitation highlight this indignity even more: –Poor must be content with water from any source –No direct water supply: Women have to line up –Unsheltered defecation: shame Source: (1) B. Lietzke

ecosan and Human Dignity  Through the construction of toilets, people – especially women – experience more privacy and safety.  Moreover, with a safe toilet nearby, women do not refrain from drinking  better health  Improve safety: no sexual harassment  More toilets are built in schools: Increased girl’s attendance  Better health status: better leaning  Management of toilets can become a socially accepted and profitable task M. Kropac

ecosan and Human Dignity  ecosan toilets can foreclose the direct handling of human faeces.  No need for manual cleansing  no need for manual scavengers,  If waste can be turned into useful resources (compost, fertilizer): increased value  dignity of those dealing with it will be restored.  health benefits: people can be free from the vicious cycle of diseases and poverty. Source: (8) M. Kropac

ecosan implemented

ecosan implemented: Reactions “Undoubtedly there is immense appreciation from the people using these toilet-facilities since they were suffering without toilet facilities for a long period. More specifically, the women are very grateful for providing toilet facilities. The women in particular are very happy and content because this toilet provides them all facilities such as water, electricity and reliable wardens who keep the toilet in a very hygienic state all the time. Above all women using the toilet have the assurance of safety and security because the project is run by a responsible organization that pays personal attention to all aspects of this project.“ S.S. Wilsson, local project manager of a project in Bangalore, where a community toilet block for several hundred people was built in a densely populated slum area.

K. Conradin J. Heeb Navsarjan END OF MODULE M2-3 Katharina Conradin, seecon international Dr. Johannes Heeb, International Ecological Engineering Society & seecon international Prof. Dr. Petter Jenssen, Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Dr. Ken Gnanakan, ACTS Bangalore, India © 2006 Click here to go to the references part BACK TO THE MAIN MENU seecon International gmbh ACTS Agriculture -Crafts - Trades - Studies FOR FURTHER READINGS REFER TO M2-3 TUTORIAL

++ References (1)Gnanakan, Ken (2004): Ecological sanitation. In: Jenssen, P.D. et al (2004): Ecological Sanitation and Reuse of Wastewater – a thinkpiece on ecological sanitation. (2)UNICEF (2000): Sanitation for all. Promoting dignity and human rights. Available at: (Accessed ) (3)UN Habitat 2004 in: UN Millennium Project Task Force on Water and Sanitation: Health, Dignity, and Development: What Will It Take? UN Millennium Project, SIWI. (4)SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) (2004): Ganz unten in Indien. In: Eine Welt Nr. 4 / Dezember 2004: P WHO, UNICEF & WSSCC (2000): Global Water Supply and Assessment 2000 Report. Geneva and New York 2000: (5)Evans, B., Hutton, G. & Haller, L. (2004): Round Table on Sustainable Development. Closing the Sanitation Gap - the Case for Better Public Funding of Sanitation and Hygiene. OECD (6)Interagency Task Force on Gender and Water Sub-programme of UN-Water and Interagency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) UN Water Policy Brief 2 (2005): Gender, Water and Sanitation. A Policy Brief. Available at: (7)Webster, J. (1999): Who is a Dalit? - In: Michael S.M. (Ed.): Dalits in Modern India. New Delhi, P (8)Brücher, J., Conradin, K., Kropac, M. & M. Willareth (2005): Ecological Sanitation - A Sustainability Approach. Wich an Indian CaseStudy on Social Aspects and a Critical Think Piece on Economic Aspects. Seminar “Socially Acceptable Technical Innovations” with Dr. Johannes Heeb, Programme MGU (Mensch-Gesellschaft-Umwelt), University of Basel, Switzerland. (9)Navsarjan (2004): Dalit Themes of Relevance: Manual Scavenging. Available at: (Accessed ) (10)Gender and Water Alliance GWA (2003): The Gender and Water Development Report Gender Perspectives on Policies in the Water Sector. Gender and Water Alliance, Delft, Netherlands.

++ Abbreviations ACTSAgriculture, Crafts, Trades, Studies GTZGerman Agency for Technical Cooperation UNICEFUnited Nations Children’s Fund OECDOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

++ Glossary: Dalits The word Dalit was used by the Indian human rights activist Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as a term for the depressed classes in India. It means ‘oppressed’, ‘downtrodden’ or ‘broken’ people. Since the early 1970’s, the word has come into increasingly wider usage, and it is commonly used for describing people formally known as Untouchables (8). DALITS

++ Glossary: Gender Approach A gender approach implies that attitudes, roles and responsibilities of men and women are taken into account, that it is recognized that both sexes do not necessarily have the same access to, or control over, resources, and that work, benefits and impacts may be different for both groups. The gender approach requires an open mindedness and aims at the fullest possible participation of both women and men. It highlights:  The differences between women and men’s interests even within the same household and how these interact and are expressed.  The conventions and hierarchies which determine women and men’s position in the family, community and society at large, whereby women are usually dominated by men.  The differences among women and men based on age, wealth, ethnic background and other factors (10). GENDER APPROACH