Gender and social inclusion has been a key area of focus in the CS WASH Fund, with each project required to include gender and social inclusion activities and targets. This requirement prompted Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to consider culturally appropriate ways of strengthening gender equality and social inclusion in WASH demand and supply, and in the governance of WASH services.
While the Fund has contributed to improvements in gender equality and social inclusion in WASH service delivery, it has also highlighted that there is still much progress to be made to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The lessons learnt in the implementation of CS WASH Fund have provided sufficient evidence on the merits of an increased focus on gender equality and social inclusion, as well as a strong practical knowledge base on which to build.
This synthesis report, one of three thematic reports, is a compilation of the contributions of the 13 CSOs and their change agents, the Monitoring, Evaluation and Review Panel and the Fund Management Facility on GESI throughout the various e-Discussions, presentations and the face-to-face discussions that constituted the Fund Learning and Reflection Event (FLARE). The FLARE was an internal learning event for CSOs in the CS WASH Fund with representatives from Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Pacific and was an opportunity to consolidate and build on the work of CSOs, share recent project experiences and capture lessons for future initiatives.