Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation?
Reliable access to safe sanitation is a cornerstone of human health and gender equality. Over the last 10 years, the risks of sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) associated with inadequate access to household latrines have received considerable attention. This is especially true of studies...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IWA Publishing
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/12/11/737 |
| _version_ | 1811312085082046464 |
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| author | Isha Ray |
| author_facet | Isha Ray |
| author_sort | Isha Ray |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reliable access to safe sanitation is a cornerstone of human health and gender equality. Over the last 10 years, the risks of sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) associated with inadequate access to household latrines have received considerable attention. This is especially true of studies on seeking sanitation under cover of darkness. Here I examine the evidentiary basis of claims that incidences of SVSH can be reduced with better access to latrines. I focus on SVSH towards women and girls, though all genders can face sexual violence. I argue that promoting household (or on premises) latrines as a protection against sexual violence cements entrenched biases about ‘good’ girls, ‘true’ rape, and the place of women in public spaces. Thus, arguments claiming that latrine construction is an important tool against SVSH, while gender-sensitive in intent, can be misogynistic in impact.
HIGHLIGHTS
Researchers have argued that sexual violence and harassment can be reduced by constructing more household toilets.;
This argument inadvertently supports rationales for keeping women away from public spaces.;
Promoting latrine construction as a way to prevent rapes also perpetuates gender-biased myths related to ‘true’ victims and ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ girls.;
This form of sanitation advocacy can become misogynistic.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:30:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-097a25cef98d434ca99b429973cd236a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2043-9083 2408-9362 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T10:30:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-097a25cef98d434ca99b429973cd236a2022-12-22T02:50:11ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development2043-90832408-93622022-11-01121173774110.2166/washdev.2022.023023Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation?Isha Ray0 University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA Reliable access to safe sanitation is a cornerstone of human health and gender equality. Over the last 10 years, the risks of sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) associated with inadequate access to household latrines have received considerable attention. This is especially true of studies on seeking sanitation under cover of darkness. Here I examine the evidentiary basis of claims that incidences of SVSH can be reduced with better access to latrines. I focus on SVSH towards women and girls, though all genders can face sexual violence. I argue that promoting household (or on premises) latrines as a protection against sexual violence cements entrenched biases about ‘good’ girls, ‘true’ rape, and the place of women in public spaces. Thus, arguments claiming that latrine construction is an important tool against SVSH, while gender-sensitive in intent, can be misogynistic in impact. HIGHLIGHTS Researchers have argued that sexual violence and harassment can be reduced by constructing more household toilets.; This argument inadvertently supports rationales for keeping women away from public spaces.; Promoting latrine construction as a way to prevent rapes also perpetuates gender-biased myths related to ‘true’ victims and ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ girls.; This form of sanitation advocacy can become misogynistic.;http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/12/11/737gender-based violencelatrinesrapesexual violencetoilets |
| spellingShingle | Isha Ray Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation? Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development gender-based violence latrines rape sexual violence toilets |
| title | Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation? |
| title_full | Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation? |
| title_fullStr | Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation? |
| title_short | Reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation? |
| title_sort | reducing sexual violence through safe sanitation |
| topic | gender-based violence latrines rape sexual violence toilets |
| url | http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/12/11/737 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT isharay reducingsexualviolencethroughsafesanitation |