Initiative for Sanitation Workers (ISW) (2025) Sanitation workers, 6 years on: Successes, resources and looking forward
In Stockholm World Water Week 2019 the seminal report “Health, safety and dignity of sanitation workers. An Initial Assessment” was launched. It highlighted the appalling working conditions sanitation workers face and set out key areas for action. Accordingly, WaterAid, World Bank, WHO, ILO and SNV formed the Initiative for Sanitation Workers (ISW), a global advocacy alliance. Acknowledging that without a protected and healthy workforce the Sustainable Development […]
Online since: 09.10.2025
Views: 0
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PSI Global Union (2023) Dangerous Gutters: South Asia's Despised Sanitation Workers
Sanitation workers across South Asia, including Bangladesh, face severe challenges in their work, from discrimination, lack of respect, low wages, and dangerous working conditions. In Bangladesh, they live in separate housing compounds in terrible conditions, their children face educational barriers, and malnutrition is common due to insufficient wages. These challenges are exacerbated by socio-cultural issues, such as the caste system, leading to further marginalisation. Mohammad Lokman […]
Online since: 08.10.2025
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SuSanA (2025) 35th SuSanA Meeting - Presentations, Recordings and further Resources
The 35th SuSanA Meeting took place on 23 August 2025. It was organised by the SuSanA Secretariat with support and contributions from the Global Steering Committee, SuSanA Partners, Members, Working Groups, Regional Chapters, and many others. This page serves as a central collection point for various resources from the meeting, including recordings, presentations, and an overview of the programme. We would like to once again thank all […]
Online since: 25.08.2025
Views: 29
Downloads: 1747
Dr. Chisala D. Meki; Patricia Mubita; Dr. Hikabasa Halwindi (2024) An Assessment of Health and Safety of Sanitation Workers in Zambia
Sanitation is a cornerstone of healthy communities. Pit emptiers play a critical role in maintaining public health and safety by removing waste from pit latrines and septic tanks. Despite their essential work, these individuals often toil in obscurity and face significant challenges accessing adequate health and safety protections, particularly in developing countries. This study investigated the health and safety of sanitation workers in Zambia and found […]
Online since: 16.07.2025
Views: 54
Downloads: 318
SNV and WaterAid (2025) Supporting Sanitation Workers Lessons from the Empowerment Support Fund
Sanitation workers, involved in faecal waste management, face dangerous and oppressive working conditions, as well as stigma. A key challenge weakening their voices is the lack of collective organisation among sanitation workers. Their health, safety and dignity is an issue of human rights, but it is also crucial for achieving the ambitions of safely managed sanitation for all and the promotion of decent work, as […]
Online since: 07.07.2025
Views: 59
Downloads: 150
Aarzoo Nepal and Sneha Jha (2025) Weight of the Waste: Story of Sanitation Workers
This film is more than just a story; it is a raw and honest portrayal of the daily realities faced by these essential individuals. It delves into their immense challenges, the pervasive social stigma and discrimination they endure, often leading to their isolation and dehumanization. The documentary poignantly shows how many are compelled to hide their identities, fearing judgment and ostracization from society.Yet, amidst these […]
Online since: 04.07.2025
Views: 61
Downloads: 0
Hakimu Sseviiri; Abubaker Semukoteka; Irene Mutesi Nakayenga; Shakirah Mutesi; Disan Byarugaba; Joel Kironde; Gloria Nsangi (2025) Unveiling the Impact: The Intended and Unintended Consequences of Formalizing and Elevating Workforce Visibility for Sanitation Workers in Kampala city, Uganda
Sanitation services are pivotal not only for enhancing public health but also for fostering the productivity of urban systems, particularly as cities continue to expand. Amidst efforts by public, private, and civil society actors to engage the sanitation sector through decentralized and small-scale service provision models, significant challenges related to workforce welfare, legitimacy, and adequate financing persist, underscoring the need to recognize and support the […]
Online since: 01.07.2025
Views: 53
Downloads: 140
Center for Community Initiatives () Policy Brief: Enhancing Financial Security for Sanitation Workers in Arusha
Sanitation workers in Arusha, particularly the Arusha Deport Group (ADG) manual emptiers, are vital in maintaining urban health and hygiene. Despite their importance, these workers face persistent financial insecurity due to income variability, lack of social protection, and exclusion from formal financial systems. This policy brief outlines actionable recommendations to address these challenges, including formalizing employment, improving access to financial services, enforcing occupational health and […]
Online since: 01.07.2025
Views: 47
Downloads: 131
Center for Community Initiatives (2024) Sanitation Workers Financial Insecurities A Case of Arusha Depot Group (ADG)
Sanitation work in Arusha plays a critical role in maintaining urban health and hygiene, but it has historically been underappreciated and, at times, stigmatized. The sanitation workers, oftenengaged in manual emptying, street sweeping, and sewer system maintenance, belong to an informal workforce that faces significant challenges, particularly financial insecurity and lack of recognition. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the financial insecurity faced by sanitation […]
Online since: 01.07.2025
Views: 60
Downloads: 110
ITN-BUET Centre for Water Supply and Waste Management (2024) Enabling a Formalized Sanitation Workforce in Bangladesh Research Summary
Imagine a world where sanitation workers are seen and celebrated for their essential role in keeping our communities healthy, a world where these vital workers are valued rightfully for their contribution to society. The formalization of this workforce offers a pathway for making this vision a reality. Formalization will result in empowered workers confidently using mechanical desludging equipment and protective gear, being recognized for their […]
Online since: 01.07.2025
Views: 56
Downloads: 94
ITN-BUET Centre for Water Supply and Waste Management (2024) Voices from the Field: Understanding the Lives of Sanitation Workers through Photovoice in Southwest Bangladesh Research Summary
Bangladesh has an investment pipeline valued at more than $USD1.3 billion planned for faecal sludge management (FSM) in the next decade (2024-2035). With such a significant investment plan, it is pertinent to review and learn from current FSM service delivery approaches. Thorough understandings of current practices and FSM service performance can inform upcoming investments to maximise efficacy and sustainability. Thus, in 2024, Practical Action and […]
Online since: 01.07.2025
Views: 57
Downloads: 124
SASLN (2024) The Transformative Role of Science and Technology in Eliminating Manual Scavenging
Indian society is marked by deep- rooted complexities, where identities are shaped not only by religion, and class but also by caste that creates social hierarchies. Among the most dehumanizing manifestations of this structure is the practice of manual scavenging, where one person is forced to clean another' s waste. This report by the South Asian Sanitation Worker and Labour Network (SASLN) explores how science and technology […]
Online since: 25.06.2025
Views: 72
Downloads: 291
SASLN (2024) Key Findings from a Community Led Study on Mental Health of Sanitation Workers
Sanitation workers in India, predominantly from marginalized communities, play a critical role in maintaining public health and ensuring the cleanliness of urban and rural environments. However, despite their essential contributions, they endure deeply entrenched social, economic, and psychological challenges that severely affect their overall well-being. The report assessed awareness, accessibility, and affordability of mental health support and identified systemic gaps in care and employer practices.
Online since: 25.06.2025
Views: 68
Downloads: 164
SASLN (2025) Occupational Safety and Health of Sanitation Workers: Access to Protective Equipment and Services
This collaborative study by the South Asian Sanitation Worker and Labour Network (SASLN) examined occupational safety and health conditions for sanitation workers across 10 Indian states. Through a structured survey involving over 500 participants, the study identified critical gaps in access to protective equipment, healthcare, social security, and training. Findings reveal that a majority of workers operate without adequate safety gear, often under informal employment conditions, […]
Online since: 16.06.2025
Views: 64
Downloads: 161
Micaela Rodrigues (2024) Fact Sheet - The State of Sanitation Services in Mocuba, Mozambique
Mocuba, situated in the Zambezia province of Mozambique, is undergoing substantial urban growth and development, ranking 11th among the most populated cities in Mozambique according to the 2017 census, with an urban Municipal population of approximately 115,000 people. Effective sanitation services are essential for ensuring public health and hygiene in rapidly expanding communities like Mocuba. During the development of city-wide sanitation plan, an initiative by […]
Online since: 12.05.2025
Views: 116
Downloads: 244
World Bank Group, World Health Organization, International Labour Organization, Water Aid (2019) Health, safety and dignity of sanitation workers
"Sanitation workers provide an invaluable service that many of us notice only when confronted with locked, blocked, or filthy toilets; overflowing septic tanks; or beaches contaminated with sewage. These workers are vital to the proper functioning of the sanitation systems that underpin daily life, and many more ae needed to achieve the ambitious agenda of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. Yet sanitation workers are often invisible […]
Online since: 02.05.2025
Views: 92
Downloads: 0
World Health Organization (2022) Global research agenda for improving the health safety and dignity of sanitation workers
Growing and protecting the sanitation workforce is vital to improving sanitation globally. A joint report Health, Safety and Dignity of Sanitation Workers: An Initial Assessment identified building the evidence bases as one of four areas for action to improve conditions of sanitation workers. Yet there is a lack of research and evidence on sanitation workers particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This research agenda is intended […]
Online since: 07.04.2025
Views: 117
Downloads: 0
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (2022) Water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities: a practical tool for situation assessment and improvement planning
"Adequate water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services in health-care facilities, with waste management and environmental cleaning, are fundamental to ensuring high-quality care, safe maternal and child health services, infection prevention and control, and occupational health of health workers. In the light of the scarcity of available data and the lack of baseline information in many countries, World Health Assembly resolution WHA72.7 on WASH in health-care facilities […]
Online since: 26.03.2025
Views: 112
Downloads: 0
Muhammad Umar Ali, Dr. Muhammad Azeem (2024) Sanitation Workers in Lahore: A Socio-Legal Study
The report provides an in-depth analysis of the working conditions, socio-economic challenges, and legal protections (or lack thereof) faced by sanitation workers in Lahore, Pakistan. Published by the Labour Research & Development Institute (LRDI) in collaboration with the Pakistan Workers Federation, the study is part of the ILO Japan Multi-bilateral Programme. It focuses on issues such as occupational safety, wages, social security, and discrimination, particularly […]
Online since: 20.08.2024
Views: 474
Downloads: 203
Freya Mills, Tim Foster, Antoinette Kome, Rajeev Munankami, Gabrielle Halcrow, Antony Ndungu, Barbara Evans & Juliet Willetts (2024) Indicators to complement global monitoring of safely managed on-site sanitation to understand health risks
This document highlights significant occupational health and safety risks for sanitation workers during the emptying of on-site sanitation systems. A major concern is the direct exposure to health risks, as many workers enter containments like pits and septic tanks, with only 8% of systems emptied without such entry. Risks are higher in rural areas, where self-emptying is more common, and in urban settings where sanitation […]
Online since: 20.08.2024
Views: 361
Downloads: 179
