Promoting public sanitation and gender equality by leveraging behavioral insights

Proper sanitation infrastructure is an important public good and a prerequisite to a variety of health and economic growth factors. In Nepal, where public toilet access has increased drastically in the last two decades, a crucial challenge is gender asymmetrical use, with public toilets being used by 7 times as many men as women in some areas.

This problem is further exacerbated by the social stigma surrounding menstruation. For example, research has shown that women often avoid using toilets while menstruating for fear of staining them, and some communities prohibit women from using water sources during menstruation.

TDL was approached by Aerosan, a Canadian non-profit, and the Government of Nepal to promote better sanitation practices by leveraging behavioral insights.