Introduction The links between Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and gender extend far beyond the provision of basic services; they shape the everyday realities of women and girls. When WASH systems are inadequate, women bear a disproportionate share of the burden. They are typically responsible for managing household hygiene, caring for sick family members, and collecting water, which demands significant physical effort and emotional resilience. The absence of safe, private, and accessible sanitation facilities further increases their exposure to harassment, insecurity, and gender-based violence, restricting their mobility and often discouraging them from attending school or participating in social and economic activities. Menstrual hygiene is also a significant challenge. Many girls and women lack private toilets, clean water, and safe disposal options, which undermines their dignity and affects their school attendance and productivity. In communities where piped water is unavailable, women and girls frequently spend hours each day fetching water. UNICEF and WHO report that in most such households, females, often young girls, make multiple long trips daily, resulting in a substantial loss of time that could otherwise support education, income generation, or rest. Despite challenges such as limited gender-disaggregated data, low female representation in the WASH workforce, and facility designs that overlook women’s lived experiences, India has made notable progress. The country is steadily establishing itself as an international example of how gender-responsive planning and community-led actions can build inclusive WASH systems. WASH Progress in India and Involvement of Women India’s progress in the WASH sector marks one of the most significant public health improvements in recent decades. Flagship initiatives, especially the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), have sharply reduced open defecation through the construction of over 12 crore rural toilets. These improvements have contributed to measurable gains in maternal and child health outcomes. According to the WHO–UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (2024), nearly 55 million urban residents gained access to safely managed sanitation in just two years, showcasing the scale and speed of the national action. After achieving open defecation-free (ODF) status in 2019, India shifted to an “ODF Plus” framework that emphasises long-term sustainability through systematic solid and liquid waste management. This new phase ensures that sanitation gains are preserved and embedded in routine community systems. Access to water has also improved. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), functional rural household tap connections (FHTC) rose from 17% in 2019 to nearly 74% by early 2024, dramatically reducing the time and labour women previously spent queuing or walking for water.3 However, significant gaps persist: safely managed drinking water coverage remains higher in urban areas than in rural locations. Ensuring that these services are reliable, safely managed, climate-resilient, and equitably distributed remains a core challenge in the sector. A defining feature of India’s WASH progress is the deliberate inclusion of women in decision-making and implementation. National guidelines indicate that at least half of all Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) members are women. Many now serve as presidents, secretaries, and treasurers, which gives them the authority to influence planning, budgeting, and service monitoring. Women have also taken on technical and field roles that were traditionally male-dominated. Thousands have trained as masons (“Rani Mistris”) under the SBM(G), constructing toilets across rural regions. Women like Sunita Devi and Kalavati Devi have become prominent examples of individuals who broke social norms and contributed to large-scale sanitation construction efforts. The involvement of women in water quality surveillance has been equally transformative. Nearly 23.5 lakh women across close to five lakh villages have been trained to use Field Testing Kits (FTKs) under JJM. Regular testing enables communities to detect contamination early and safeguard drinking water safety. One such example is Gayatri Minz, a community health worker in the Gumla district in Bihar, who conducted bacterial, nitrate, and fluoride tests and mobilised her community to protect water sources and maintain pipeline systems. Together, these roles as committee leaders, masons, water quality monitors, and behaviour-change motivators have shifted WASH from a basic infrastructure programme to a community-driven, gender-responsive movement. Women’s leadership has helped institutionalise accountability and ensure that services reflect the needs of the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. Conclusion India’s WASH achievements demonstrate that sustainable progress is possible when women are placed at the centre of planning, implementation, and monitoring. Their leadership in building toilets, managing water systems, and educating communities has helped create services that are more equitable, resilient, and responsive. In doing so, women have not only strengthened WASH outcomes but have also driven wider social transformation, empowering communities and improving the well-being of future generations. References: https://www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2023-women-and-girls-bear-brunt-of-water-and-sanitation-crisis---new-unicef-who-report https://swachhbharatmission.ddws.gov.in/about_sbm https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2002716#:~:text=2024%2C%20more%20than%2010.98%20Crore,:%202002716)%20Visitor%20Counter%20:%204040 This article is written by Dr. Debasri Mukherjee, Assistant Director (WASH), SIGMA Foundation, Kolkata [Published in NIWAS Vartika - Vol-I, Issue-3 (Oct-Dec'25): A WASH magazine by SPM NIWAS, MoJS, GoI]