Resulting from Max Foundation’s WASH interventions, we have witnessed political empowerment of women chairing Community Support Groups. They actively participate and make decisions, for example in where to place latrines and tube wells. They have the right to vote and to be voted for.

Photo: Taslima Khatun

Taslima is President in the Dalchara Community Support Group. She was trained for this position and told us her confidence has increased a lot. She is now well-respected in the community and also regularly consulted on early marriage, domestic violence and dowry issues.
 

Socio-cultural empowerment is seen through women in Community Support Groups having created an environment where women’s leadership is now more socially accepted. It has led to more respect from everyone in the community.
 
Physical empowerment has increased through spreading messages on menstrual hygiene management in Courtyard Groups. Adolescent girls feel more confident to discuss the topic openly, for example to convince their parents they do not have to skip school. Women testify to improved health by placing latrines in central places following their advice in the Community Support Groups. They also report there is a decrease in violence against women in the village.
  

Photo: Jamuna school girls 
 

There is little direct evidence on women being economically empowered.  However, due to improved health of the whole family, less money is being spent on medical bills and less time on care taking. This has a positive impact on their availability for paid work.

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Together with Gender and Water Programme Bangladesh Max Foundation has developed a guideline for mainstreaming gender in the WASH work we do. We implement our interventions in a way that gives women equal rights to men and meets their specific needs for protecting their human rights.
 

Video: Max Foundation and gender mainstreaming. 

 
First and foremost, we place women alongside men at the core of WASH planning, implementation and operations via their role in so-called Community Support Groups. These groups advise union-based government committees that oversee the planning of latrine and water coverage in the union.

Photo: woman leading Community Support group session

Our local partner NGOs organise Courtyard Groups consisting of women only. During these village meetings, women share best practices and are trained to improve household water and sanitation management practices. 
 
We also work with schools to build separate sanitation facilities for girls, giving them privacy and helping them to prevent infections. As a result, they do not have to skip school during their menstruation, improving their access to education. Through decreased disease in the whole community women have more time for other activities; they are trained to set up small businesses, for example in female sanitation products.

About Max Foundation
 
Max Foundation was founded in 2005 by Joke and Steven Le Poole, following the death of their son Max who died from a viral infection at eight months. Steven and Joke were determined to spare other parents such deep sorrow.
 
Video: The story of Max Foundation 

 
The mission of Max Foundation is to give children a healthy start in life and save as many children’s lives as possible. We want to do this in the most effective and sustainable way. To date we have served over 1.5 million people and we aim to double this in the next 5 years.

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